Wild blueberries have long been considered a healthy food, but a newly published scientific review suggests their benefits may extend deeper than many people realize.
The review brings together decades of research to examine how eating wild blueberries may influence cardiometabolic health.
This broad area of health includes how well blood vessels work, how stable blood pressure is, how cholesterol and other blood fats behave, and how the body controls blood sugar. All of these factors play an important role in the risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.
The review was published in the journal Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition and grew out of an expert meeting held in Maine. Scientists from different fields came together to examine the evidence, including specialists in nutrition, cardiovascular health, metabolism, gut health, and brain function.
While the meeting was organized by the Wild Blueberry Association of North America, the authors report that they were not paid to write the review, and the conclusions were based on existing research findings.
The authors examined twelve human clinical trials carried out over a 24-year period in four different countries. These trials specifically tested how wild blueberries affected cardiometabolic health in people.
In addition, the researchers reviewed many related studies that looked at similar outcomes using both wild and cultivated blueberries, as well as laboratory and animal research that explored how blueberry compounds work inside the body.
When looking across all of this research, the clearest and most consistent benefit appeared in blood vessel function. Healthy blood vessels need to expand and relax easily to allow good blood flow.
Several studies showed that eating wild blueberries improved this ability, sometimes within hours of a single serving and sometimes after regular intake over several weeks. Good blood vessel function is important because it helps control blood pressure and supports overall heart health.
The review also found encouraging results for blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and blood sugar control, especially in people who already had higher health risks. In some studies, regular consumption of wild blueberries was linked to lower blood pressure, healthier cholesterol levels, and better control of blood sugar.
However, the authors caution that these findings are not yet consistent across all studies. They emphasize the need for larger and better-designed trials to confirm how strong and reliable these effects are.
One reason wild blueberries may have such wide-ranging effects is how they interact with the gut. Wild blueberries are rich in fiber and plant compounds called polyphenols. Most of these compounds are not absorbed in the small intestine.
Instead, they travel to the large intestine, where gut bacteria break them down into smaller substances that can enter the bloodstream. These substances may account for a large portion of the beneficial compounds found in the blood after eating blueberries.
One study highlighted in the review found that adults who consumed a daily serving of freeze-dried wild blueberry powder for six weeks showed an increase in beneficial gut bacteria, especially Bifidobacterium species.
These bacteria are often linked to better digestion and metabolic health. While this finding is promising, the authors note that more research is needed to understand exactly how gut bacteria help turn blueberry compounds into health benefits.
The review also explored how wild blueberries may affect brain function. Several studies in older adults suggested that blueberry intake could improve thinking speed and memory.
These changes may be linked to better blood flow throughout the body, including the brain, as well as reduced inflammation and oxidative stress. Some benefits were seen after a single serving, while others appeared after longer periods of regular intake.
The researchers explain that the effects of wild blueberries are not the same for everyone. Results can depend on a person’s starting health, medications, overall diet, and even the unique mix of bacteria living in their gut.
Because of this, the authors encourage future studies to identify who benefits the most, what doses work best, and which biological markers should be measured.
Wild blueberries appear to work through several biological pathways at once. Research suggests they may support the production of nitric oxide, a substance that helps blood vessels relax. They may also reduce inflammation, limit oxidative damage to cells, improve how the body handles fats and sugars, and interact with gut microbes in helpful ways.
Across the studies reviewed, wild blueberries were tested in forms that are easy to include in daily life. Many trials used amounts equal to about one cup of wild blueberries per day, eaten regularly over weeks or months.
Because wild blueberries are often sold frozen, they are widely available year-round and can be added to foods such as smoothies, yogurt, oatmeal, or baked dishes.
Wild blueberries are nutritionally different from cultivated blueberries. They grow in harsher environments, such as cold winters, which may lead the plants to produce more protective compounds. They also contain a wide variety of anthocyanins, the pigments that give them their deep blue color and are thought to play a role in their health effects.
When reviewing the findings as a whole, the evidence is strongest for improved blood vessel function, with growing but still incomplete support for benefits related to blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, gut health, and cognitive performance.
The review does not claim that wild blueberries are a cure for cardiometabolic disease. Instead, it suggests they may be a helpful part of a balanced diet that supports multiple systems in the body.
Overall, this review highlights how a simple food may influence health through many connected pathways.
While more research is needed to confirm long-term effects and identify who benefits most, the findings support the idea that regular consumption of wild blueberries could play a meaningful role in supporting heart, metabolic, and brain health when combined with an overall healthy lifestyle.
If you care about diabetes, please read studies about Vitamin D and type 2 diabetes, and to people with diabetes, some fruits are better than others.
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