Chapter 4: Berries: Functional Foods That Promote Beneficial Bacterial Species in the Gut

Functional foods are ingredients that offer health benefits that extend beyond their nutritional value. Berries are a proven functional food due to their numerous reported health benefits. Berries naturally contain many beneficial compounds such as flavonoids, phenolic acids, fibers, and organic acids and represent an important source of antioxidants in the American diet. Anthocyanin, proanthocyanins, and monomeric phenolic acids from berries have shown various biological effects, including the amelioration of the symptoms of metabolic syndrome. The native high-molecular-weight polyphenols from berries have been recognized as prebiotics and positive modulators of the gut microbiota. Currently, berries are being investigated as a new potential arsenal of antimicrobials and prebiotics because of their ability to selectively inhibit enteric pathogens while promoting the growth of beneficial microorganisms. The result of a berry enriched diet is a symbiotic relationship with sustained benefits to the host. However, promising data on berries’ purported health benefits still requires mechanistic insight, which can be gleaned through utilizing various in vitro and in vivo models. This chapter will focus on the specific constituents of berries and microorganisms that support this beneficial relationship and the studies that aid in drawing these conclusions.