Anthocyanins Inhibit Nuclear Factor-kappaB Activation in Monocytes and Reduce Plasma Concentrations of Pro-Inflammatory Mediators in Healthy Adults
Don’t let the long title scare you off. NF-kappa-B is the holy grail of inflammation. It is the molecule that turns on DNA to produce inflammatory chemicals like TNF-alpha and IL-8 and start the cascade of inflammation. Lower activity of NF-kappa-B and you can greatly stem inflammation. The REAL answer is to address all the factors that kick off NFKB in the first place (lower EFAs, stress, food allergies, poor nutrient intake, insulin resistance…), but Mother Nature provides many compounds that assist in the process.
This particular study looks at protective compounds from bilberry and black currant and finds that they have a pretty strong ability to lower NFKB activation.