Eating blueberries daily may reduce risk of heart disease, study finds

New research points to a serious incentive to make blueberries part of your daily diet.
A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that when adults with metabolic syndrome consumed the equivalent of one cup of blueberries per day, they showed clinically significant improvements in heart health.
Metabolic syndrome is a group of factors that raise a person’s risk for heart disease and other health problems, such as type 2 diabetes and stroke. These risk factors include low levels of HDL-C, or “good cholesterol,” high blood pressure, increased abdominal obesity, high triglyceride levels, and high fasting glucose levels.
The study participants who ate one cup of blueberries per day significantly increased their “good cholesterol” levels. They also improved their endothelial function and reduced arterial stiffness, both associated with a reduced risk of heart attack and stroke.
Insulin resistance, pulse wave velocity, blood pressure, and other lipid levels (including total cholesterol) were unaffected by any of the interventions. There were also no observed clinical benefits from the intake of one-half cup of blueberries in this at-risk participant group.
The study was conducted over six month and included 115 participants — 78 men and 37 women — between the ages of 50 and 75 with metabolic syndrome. All subjects were instructed to limit intake of other anthocyanin — the main natural flavonoid constituent present in blueberries — containing foods to one portion per week and other foods known to modify vascular function. Participants also refrained from blueberry intake beyond the assigned daily treatments.
“While the conclusions drawn are from a single study that cannot be generalized to all populations, the data add weight to the evidence that a dietary intervention with a realistic serving of blueberries may be an effective strategy to decrease important risk factors for heart disease," said Aedin Cassidy, Ph.D., Head of Nutrition and Preventive Medicine Department and Chair of Nutritional Biochemistry at Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, and the study’s lead investigator.
Blueberries are nutritious while also being low in calories. They contain only naturally occurring sugars, are low in fat and sodium, and contribute essential nutrients, including vitamin C, vitamin K, manganese, and dietary fiber.
The research was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and funded by the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council.