Anthocyanins from Purple Corn

This anthocyanin dietary supplement contains one of the most exciting natural nutritional groups missing from the typical modern diet - anthocyanins from purple corn. Anthocyanins are found in purple colored plants. Researchers find that people that consume an antioxidant dietary supplement that contains Anthocyanins tend to be younger looking, healthier, more radiant and beautiful skin and live longer. Consider this anthocyanin dietary supplement your best insurance for a healthy future.

Anthocyanins are pigments found in some plants, vegetables and fruits.  From the Greek words for plant and blue, anthocyanins are what make blueberries blue, and Cuzco Purple Corn. 

What are the Properties of Anthocyanins?

Anthocyanins are in a class of plant compounds called flavonoids. Approximately 4,000 different flavonoids have since been discovered, but a recent study of over 150 flavonoids found that anthocyanins have the greatest antioxidating power.

Each fruit has its own distinct proportions of anthocyanins that determine its shade.  Over 200 anthocyanins have been discovered.  Purple corn has 70% cyanidin 3-O-beta-D-glucoside or C3G. The high concentration of cyanidin as opposed to other anthocyanins gives Purple Corn many of its unique health-promoting properties. 

Cyanidin

Cyanadin is highly unstable, and can be broken down or affected by high temperatures or acidity, so maintaining the health benefits of anthocyanins in supplements can be tricky. The extraction process maintains the amount of anthocyanins in Cuzco Purple Corn, maximizing their beneficial capabilities.

Perhaps the most famous example of the value of anthocyanins is what is called the “French paradox.”  The French eat foods which are high in fat, but they also, on average, consume one to two glasses of red wine a day, which seems to make up for their less-than-heart-healthy eating habits. Up to 8 studies have shown that red wine (rich in anthocyanins) can help protect you from blood clotting and coronary heart disease.

Recent Studies Have Shown:

• In studies on animals, anthocyanins protected the cell wall from oxidation hazards.¹
• Cyanindins (the type of anthocyanin most prevalent in Purple Corn) was found to "function as a potent antioxidant in vivo."²
• Studies have shown that the anthocyanins known as cyanidin is four times more powerful than Vitamin E as an antioxidant.³
• A US study found that anthocyanins can be effective in reversing age-related deficits in several neuronal and behavioral parameters.
•  Bulgarian researches found that anthocyanins have anti-inflammatory and antihistamine effects on animals.⁵
•  A famous test on hamsters in Italy demonstrated that anthocyanins help prevent capillary damage by stabilizing capillary walls.¹

Anthocyanins references:

1. Bertuglia S, et al. Effect of Vaccinium myrtillus anthocyanosides on ischemia reperfusion injury in hamster cheek pouch microcirculation. Pharmacol Res 1995;31(3/4):183-7.

2. Tsuda T.  The role of anthocyanins as an antioxidant under oxidative stress in rats.  Biofactors 2000; 13(1-4):133-9.

3. Rice-Evans CA. The relative antioxidant activities of plant-derived polyphenolic flavonoids. Free Radical Res 1995 Apr;22(4):3785-93.

4. J Neurosci. 1999 Sep 15;19(18):8114-21.  United States Department of Agriculture, Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts 02111, USA.

Third Party Research/Studies : Purple Corn & Anthocyanins Studies

Red and Blue foods are the Cancer Fighter

Guardian Unlimited - Science theguardian   Article by Ian Sample, Science Correspondent of The Guardian, August 20, 2007.

Multiple Benefits

Antioxidant Articles  A collection of anthocyanin and antioxidant research.  Covers multiple wellness benefits of antioxidants.

Aging

Reversals of age-related declines in neuronal signal transduction, cognitive, and motor behavioral deficits with blueberry, spinach, or strawberry dietary supplementation.  This study conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture found that when added to rats' diets anthocyanins from various dietary fruits and vegetables were "effective in reversing age-related deficits in several neuronal and behavioral parameters...These findings suggest that phytochemicals present in antioxidant-rich foods may be beneficial in reversing the course of neuronal and behavioral aging."

Antioxidant Studies

Stoichiometric and kinetic studies of phenolic antioxidants from Andean purple corn and red-fleshed sweet potato.  Conducted in College Station, Texas, these researchers found purple corn to have a higher antioxidant and anti-free radical capacity than blueberries making them "excellent novel sources of natural antioxidants for the functional food and dietary supplement markets."

Antioxidants…More Than Just Vitamins Antioxidants (such as the phytochemicals, anthocyanins) found in fruits, vegetables and natural foods may have much more antioxidating power than vitamins A, C and E often associated with anti-oxidation and found in pill-form.  

The role of anthocyanins as an antioxidant under oxidative stress in rats.  Cyanidin 3-O-beta-D-glucoside, the same anthocyanin primarily found in purple corn, was included in the diets of rats and found to function "as a potent antioxidant in vivo under oxidative stress"

The relative antioxidant activities of plant-derived polyphenolic flavonoids.  Because of its unique structure among anthocyanins (3',4' dihydroxy substituents in the B ring and conjugation between the A and B rings), cyanidin--the same anthocyanin primarily found in purple corn--has been found to have "antioxidant potentials four times that of Trolox, the vitamin E analogue." 

A comparative study of antimicrobial, antimutagenic and antioxidant properties of phenolic compounds from purple corn and bilberry colorant extracts.  Purple corn was found to have higher antimutagenic and antioxidant properties when compared to bilberry extract.  Purple corn inhibited 56% mutagenesis, while no antimutagenic properties where reported from bilberry extract.  

Improved Vision and Eyesight Studies

Effect of anthocyanins on human connective tissue metabolism in the human.  Because of the damage to capillaries in diabetics, diabetic retinopathy can lead to blindness.  In this French study, it was shown that test subjects treated with anthocyanosides showed significantly less damage to connective tissue than normal, leading them to conclude that: "Anthocyanosides help to prevent diabetics from injuries caused by malfunction of synthesis-activities throughout normal diabetic medical treatment."

Stimulatory effect of cyanidin 3-glycosides on the regeneration of rhodopsin.  Cyanidin 3-glycosides, the primary anthocyanin found in purple corn was found to stimulate the regeneration of rhodopsin, possibly leading to the enhanced vision effects sometimes tied to anthocyanins. 
 

Breakdown of Anthocyanins in Purple Corn