An Oregon State University (OSU) study has discovered two compounds found in red grapes and blueberries may be able to enhance people’s immune functions.
The university’s Linus Pauling Institute (LPI) analyzed 446 compounds to test their effects on immunity, and observed a positive correlation with resveratrol and pterostilbene, found in red grapes and blueberries respectively.
The researchers saw these compounds worked in synergy with vitamin D and had a significant impact in raising the expression of the human CAMP (cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide) gene that is involved in immune function.
“Out of a study of hundreds of compounds, just these two popped right out,” LPI principal investigator Adrian Gombart said in a release.
“Their synergy with vitamin D to increase CAMP gene expression was significant and intriguing. It’s a pretty interesting interaction.”
The two compounds, known as stilbenoids, are produced by plants to fight infections.
The studies were supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and published in journal Molecular Nutrition and Food Research.