A new study published in Clinical Nutrition finds that the equivalent of one cup of fresh blueberries may reduce the cardiometabolic burden of energy-dense meals. Put simply, blueberries may benefit heart health.
This emerging study finds that adding anthocyanin-rich blueberries (364 mg anthocyanin and 879 mg phenolics) to a high calorie, high-fat/high-sugar meal results in reduced insulin and glucose levels, lower total cholesterol, and improved good cholesterol.
These findings are important, as elevated post-meal glucose and impaired glucose tolerance are associated with increased heart disease risk, which is already elevated in people with metabolic syndrome.
The study, which was supported by funding from the US Highbush Blueberry Council, is a secondary analysis of the primary study, which looked at the longer-term effects of blueberry consumption and found that participants with metabolic syndrome who consumed the equivalent of one cup of fresh blueberries per day showed clinically relevant improvements in measures of heart health over 6 months.
