Daily Consumption of Anthocyanins May Support Artery Health

Anthocyanins are a group of antioxidants found in red, blue, and purple fruits and vegetables. Food sources of anthocyanins include raspberries, plums, blueberries, strawberries, eggplant, and red beans. A new study has found that daily intake of anthocyanin-rich açaí berries may help support artery health.

The researchers enrolled 55 adults with a BMI greater than 25 kg/m2 to participate in the study. They were given 200g of acaí pulp (containing 294mg of anthocyanins) or a placebo daily for 12 weeks. All were assigned an individualized diet plan that reduced total calorie intake by 20%.

The researchers measured pulse wave velocity, flow-mediated dilation, peripheral vascular resistance, and body weight at baseline and at the end of the study period.

Participants in the açaí group saw greater reductions in pulse wave velocity compared to the placebo group. Pulse wave velocity is used as a measure of arterial stiffness. No significant changes were seen in flow-mediated dilation, peripheral vascular resistance, or body weight.

The study was conducted by researchers from the Institute of Cardiology of Rio Grande do Sul/University. It was published online ahead of print on October 7, 2022 in the journal Phytotherapy Research.

Daily consumption of cranberries was found to help improve flow-mediated dilation in a previous study.