While nutrition science is finding reasons for adding berries of all kinds to your diet, a new study has found that blueberries contain a compound that can potentially prevent colon cancer. The study, a joint venture of Rutgers University and the Department of Agriculture, found the compound, pterostilbene, a potent antioxidant that is abundant in blueberries could prevent cancer in animals, and possibly has the potential of being developed into a preventative pill.

Antioxidants found in many fruits, vegetables and whole grains are showing potential for fighting colon cancer, the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States. Experts say that the blueberry won’t cure cancer, but represents an attractive new strategy for preventing the disease.

In the study 18 rats were given a compound to induce colon cancer. Nine rats were fed a balanced diet; the other nine were also given a pterostilbene supplement. At the end of the eight-week study, the rats that were fed pterostilbene showed 57 percent fewer precancerous lesions than those fed merely a balanced diet. Researchers say the compound also reduced other risk factors for colon cancer such as inflammation and colonic cell proliferation.

Other studies have found evidence that blueberries possibly prevent memory loss and heart disease.