By Grant Smith

BLACKCURRANTS AND bread could help sufferers of Alzheimer’s and heart disease, scientists from the Scottish Research Institute (SCRI) at Invergowrie told ministers yesterday.

The projects are being done by Scottish Government-backed institutions aimed at finding ways of boosting health through food.

Public health minister Shona Robison and rural affairs minister Richard Lochhead met scientists at Holyrood to learn about the latest developments and the impact they could have worldwide.

A team at SCRI is trying to identify bioactive compounds in blackcurrants that may be capable of reducing the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.

A briefing paper presented to the ministers said, “These compounds are extracted from the waste produced when blackcurrants are processed. They are thought to possess properties which protect the brain and may help in the treatment of dementia.

“The project is examining cost effective methods of extracting the compounds and how they can be developed into new food ingredients.”

Blackcurrants are also a rich source of vitamin C, vital for good health.

SCRI is looking at ways to increase the amount of the vitamin in the berries. This involves determining how, where and when Vitamin C is made in the plant and defining the internal and external factors that affect it.

Research is being conducted at SCRI to identify ways of enhancing the nutritional value of raspberries through traditional breeding techniques.

The briefing paper added, “The health benefits from bread are also being explored by scientists based at SCRI. As bread is the largest single food produced in Europe, SCRI is working on a Europe-wide initiative to develop a barley-based bread which their scientists believe will be able to reduce the risk of heart disease.

“Barley contains antioxidants and soluble fibre which have proven health benefits in helping to reduce cholesterol. It makes barley bread a healthier alternative to traditional wheat-based bread. It is also lower in salt. Barley flours from across Europe are being screened to identify the ‘healthiest’ varieties.

“Once that has been done, a range of barley breads will be developed which will be tested for their health giving compounds and for their taste. Those that rate the highest will then be developed commercially.”

Chief executive of the Alzheimer’s Research Trust Rebecca Wood said, “Diet almost certainly plays a part in every person’s Alzheimer’s risk—and diet is a magnet for research because it could offer a relatively inexpensive way to fight a disease that ruins countless lives and costs the NHS more than cancer, stroke and heart disease put together.

“Previous research has found that chemicals in blackcurrants can help protect against oxidative stress damage that occurs in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. It is too early to say that eating blackcurrants can help prevent Alzheimer’s, but this research will help us to understand more about possible ways to tackle the disease.

“The Alzheimer’s Research Trust funds dietary research looking at everything from oily fish to soya, but much more research is needed to find a treatment for the 56,000 people in Scotland who suffer from dementia.”

Other work includes a project at the Rowett Institute in Aberdeen on using tomato extracts to reduce the risk of heart disease, another to develop a bread with a high oat content to control glucose and help diabetics.

Ms Robison said, “We have a lot of work to do to help people to improve their eating habits and it is exciting to hear evidence from Scottish scientists that can inform the choices we make as individuals, communities and as a country.

“Making the right choices about what we eat and drink, is not only good for our own health but also good for the Scottish businesses that grow, process and manufacture our food.”

Mr Lochhead said Scottish science was making a significant input to the developing national food and drink policy, which aims to help the industry reach a value of £10 billion by 2017.