New study opens fresh health promotion angle for blueberries

A new scientific review has linked higher anthocyanin intake with lower risks of cardiovascular disease, heart attacks, hypertension and type 2 diabetes, offering the blueberry sector fresh evidence for health-focused promotion, according a study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Anthocyanins are natural compounds that give blueberries and other red, blue and purple foods their colour. The researchers reviewed 18 long-term cohort studies covered in 27 publications, as well as 65 randomised controlled trials involving healthy participants.

In the cohort studies, people with the highest habitual anthocyanin intake had a 26% lower incidence of cardiovascular disease than those with the lowest intake. Higher consumption was also associated with an 18% lower risk of heart attack, an 11% lower risk of type 2 diabetes, an 8% lower risk of hypertension and a 9% lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease. No significant effect was found for stroke risk.

The controlled trials produced more limited results. Anthocyanin consumption improved blood vessel function, while short-term intake also produced a small improvement in insulin levels. However, the review found no clear effect on blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar or insulin resistance.

Benefits to blood vessel function were recorded at daily intakes starting from 50mg. Frutas de Chile said this amount can be obtained from around one-third of a cup of fresh blueberries, making the findings easy to use in consumer campaigns.

However, the research examined anthocyanins from different foods, extracts and supplements rather than blueberries alone. The results therefore support the wider health value of anthocyanin-rich diets, while giving blueberry producers a stronger basis for promoting the fruit as an accessible source of these compounds.

source: sciencedirect.com, frutasdechile.cl