Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Review
  • Published:

Effects of blueberry supplementation on blood pressure: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials

Journal of Human Hypertension volume 31, pages 165–171 (2017)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Blueberries belong to the genus Vaccinium of the family Ericaceae. A series of epidemiological studies have demonstrated that blueberry polyphenols, particularly blueberry anthocyanins provide significant beneficial effects for humans. However, the findings of clinical studies have been equivocal. Therefore, we sought to assess the potential anti-hypertensive effects of blueberry supplementation through a meta-analysis of available randomized controlled trials (RCTs). A comprehensive literature search of PubMed, The Cochrane Library, AMED (Allied and Complementary Medicine Database), Embase, Web of Science, Wanfang Database, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure were performed to identify potential studies published before June 2015. The standardized mean difference and 95% confidence interval (CI) were used as summary statistics. Net changes in systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) between the blueberry and placebo groups were calculated by subtracting the values at the end of follow-up from those at baseline. Meta-regression was used to identify potential moderators of effect size. Six RCT studies with 204 participants were included in our meta-analysis. There was no significant effect of blueberry supplementation on changes in blood pressure (BP) relative to baseline, and there was a mean difference of −0.28 (95% CI: −1.11 to 0.56, I2=87%) and −0.5 (95% CI: −1.24 to 0.24, I2=84%) mmHg for SBP and DBP, respectively. In summary, the results from this meta-analysis do not favor any clinical efficacy of blueberry supplementation in improving BP. Further well-designed larger RCTs are required to verify the association between blueberry supplementation and BP.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. (WHO) WHO. Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Available at: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs317/en/. Accessed by 2015.

  2. Wright JT Jr., Dunn JK, Cutler JA, Davis BR, Cushman WC, Ford CE et al. Outcomes in hypertensive black and nonblack patients treated with chlorthalidone, amlodipine, and lisinopril. JAMA 2005; 293 (13): 1595–1608.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Levitan EB, Wolk A, Mittleman MA . Relation of consistency with the dietary approaches to stop hypertension diet and incidence of heart failure in men aged 45 to 79 years. Am J Cardiol 2009; 104 (10): 1416–1420.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Heidenreich PA, Trogdon JG, Khavjou OA, Butler J, Dracup K, Ezekowitz MD et al. Forecasting the future of cardiovascular disease in the United States: a policy statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation 2011; 123 (8): 933–944.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Wright OR, Netzel GA, Sakzewski AR . A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of the effect of dried purple carrot on body mass, lipids, blood pressure, body composition, and inflammatory markers in overweight and obese adults: the QUENCH trial. Can J Physiol Pharmacol 2013; 91 (6): 480–488.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Mozaffari-Khosravi H, Ahadi Z, Barzegar K . The effect of green tea and sour tea on blood pressure of patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomized clinical trial. J Diet Suppl 2013; 10 (2): 105–115.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Neto CC . Cranberry and blueberry: evidence for protective effects against cancer and vascular diseases. Mol Nutr Food Res 2007; 51 (6): 652–664.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Borges G, Degeneve A, Mullen W, Crozier A . Identification of flavonoid and phenolic antioxidants in black currants, blueberries, raspberries, red currants, and cranberries. J Agric Food Chem 2010; 58 (7): 3901–3909.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Kris-Etherton PM, Hecker KD, Bonanome A, Coval SM, Binkoski AE, Hilpert KF et al. Bioactive compounds in foods: their role in the prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancer. Am J Med 2002; 113 (Suppl 9B): 71s–88s.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Sellappan S, Akoh CC, Krewer G . Phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity of Georgia-grown blueberries and blackberries. J Agric Food Chem 2002; 50 (8): 2432–2438.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Ahmet I, Spangler E, Shukitt-Hale B, Juhaszova M, Sollott SJ, Joseph JA et al. Blueberry-enriched diet protects rat heart from ischemic damage. PLoS ONE 2009; 4 (6): e5954.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Lau FC, Bielinski DF, Joseph JA . Inhibitory effects of blueberry extract on the production of inflammatory mediators in lipopolysaccharide-activated BV2 microglia. J Neurosci Res 2007; 85 (5): 1010–1017.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Shaughnessy KS, Boswall IA, Scanlan AP, Gottschall-Pass KT, Sweeney MI . Diets containing blueberry extract lower blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive stroke-prone rats. Nutr Res (NY) 2009; 29 (2): 130–138.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Kalea AZ, Clark K, Schuschke DA, Klimis-Zacas DJ . Vascular reactivity is affected by dietary consumption of wild blueberries in the Sprague-Dawley rat. J Med Food 2009; 12 (1): 21–28.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Martineau LC, Couture A, Spoor D, Benhaddou-Andaloussi A, Harris C, Meddah B et al. Anti-diabetic properties of the Canadian lowbush blueberry Vaccinium angustifolium Ait. Phytomedicine 2006; 13 (9-10): 612–623.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. DeFuria J, Bennett G, Strissel KJ, Perfield JW 2nd, Milbury PE, Greenberg AS et al. Dietary blueberry attenuates whole-body insulin resistance in high fat-fed mice by reducing adipocyte death and its inflammatory sequelae. J Nutr 2009; 139 (8): 1510–1516.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Vuong T, Benhaddou-Andaloussi A, Brault A, Harbilas D, Martineau LC, Vallerand D et al. Antiobesity and antidiabetic effects of biotransformed blueberry juice in KKA(y) mice. Int J Obes (Lond) 2009; 33 (10): 1166–1173.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Prior RL, Wu X, Gu L, Hager T, Hager A, Wilkes S et al. Purified berry anthocyanins but not whole berries normalize lipid parameters in mice fed an obesogenic high fat diet. Mol Nutr Food Res 2009; 53 (11): 1406–1418.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Gavrilova V, Kajdzanoska M, Gjamovski V, Stefova M . Separation, characterization and quantification of phenolic compounds in blueberries and red and black currants by HPLC-DAD-ESI-MSn. J Agric Food Chem 2011; 59 (8): 4009–4018.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Johnson SA, Figueroa A, Navaei N, Wong A, Kalfon R, Ormsbee LT et al. Daily blueberry consumption improves blood pressure and arterial stiffness in postmenopausal women with pre- and stage 1-hypertension: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. J Acad Nutr Diet 2015; 115 (3): 369–377.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Basu A, Du M, Leyva MJ, Sanchez K, Betts NM, Wu M et al. Blueberries decrease cardiovascular risk factors in obese men and women with metabolic syndrome. J Nutr 2010; 140 (9): 1582–1587.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. McAnulty LS, Collier SR, Landram MJ, Whittaker DS, Isaacs SE, Klemka JM et al. Six weeks daily ingestion of whole blueberry powder increases natural killer cell counts and reduces arterial Stiffness in sedentary males and females. Nutr Res 2014; 34 (7): 577–584.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Stull AJ, Cash KC, Johnson WD, Champagne CM, Cefalu WT . Bioactives in blueberries improve insulin sensitivity in obese, insulin-resistant men and women. J Nutr 2010; 140 (10): 1764–1768.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Riso P, Klimis-Zacas D, Del Bo C, Martini D, Campolo J, Vendrame S et al. Effect of a wild blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium drink intervention on markers of oxidative stress, inflammation and endothelial function in humans with cardiovascular risk factors. Eur J Nutr 2013; 52 (3): 949–961.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Stull A, Cash K, Champagne C, Gupta A, Boston R, Beyl R et al. Blueberries improve endothelial function, but not blood pressure, in adults with metabolic syndrome: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Nutrients 2015; 7 (6): 4107.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. The Cochrane Collaboration. In: Higgins J, Green S (eds). Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Version 5.1.0. Wiley: Hoboken, NJ, USA, 2011. http://www.cochrane-handbook.org. Accessed by 2011.

  27. Hozo SP, Djulbegovic B, Hozo I . Estimating the mean and variance from the median, range, and the size of a sample. BMC Med Res Methodol 2005; 5: 13–13.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Higgins J, Thompson S, Deeks J, Altman D . Statistical heterogeneity in systematic reviews of clinical trials: a critical appraisal of guidelines and practice. J Health Serv Res Policy 2002; 7 (1): 51–61.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Bolanos Diaz R, Calderon Cahua M . [Introduction to traditional meta-analysis]. Rev Gastroenterol Peru 2014; 34 (1): 45–51.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Suzuki A, Yamamoto N, Jokura H, Yamamoto M, Fujii A, Tokimitsu I et al. Chlorogenic acid attenuates hypertension and improves endothelial function in spontaneously hypertensive rats. J Hypertension 2006; 24 (6): 1065–1073.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Cassidy A, O'Reilly ÉJ, Kay C, Sampson L, Franz M, Forman J et al. Habitual intake of flavonoid subclasses and incident hypertension in adults. Am J Clin Nutr 2011; 93 (2): 338–347.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Kristo AS, Kalea AZ, Schuschke DA, Klimis-Zacas DJ . A wild blueberry-enriched diet (Vaccinium angustifolium improves vascular tone in the adult spontaneously hypertensive rat. J Agric Food Chem 2010; 58 (22): 11600–11605.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Miyazawa T, Nakagawa K, Kudo M, Muraishi K, Someya K . Direct intestinal absorption of red fruit anthocyanins, cyanidin-3-glucoside and cyanidin-3,5-diglucoside, into rats and humans. J Agric Food Chem 1999; 47 (3): 1083–1091.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Streppel MT, Arends LR, van 't Veer P, Grobbee DE, Geleijnse JM . Dietary fiber and blood pressure: a meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials. Arch Int Med 2005; 165 (2): 150–156.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Astrup A . Yogurt and dairy product consumption to prevent cardiometabolic diseases: epidemiologic and experimental studies. Am J Clin Nutr 2014; 99 (5 Suppl): 1235 s–121242.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Serafini M, Ghiselli A, Ferro-Luzzi A . In vivo antioxidant effect of green and black tea in man. Eur J Clin Nutr 1996; 50 (1): 28–32.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Leenen R, Roodenburg AJ, Tijburg LB, Wiseman SA . A single dose of tea with or without milk increases plasma antioxidant activity in humans. Eur J Clin Nutr 2000; 54 (1): 87–92.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Reddy VC, Vidya Sagar GV, Sreeramulu D, Venu L, Raghunath M . Addition of milk does not alter the antioxidant activity of black tea. Ann Nutr Metab 2005; 49 (3): 189–195.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank Yacong Bo for assistance with the data analysis.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Y Zhu and J Sun: These authors contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China

    Y Zhu, W Lu, X Wang, X Wang, Z Han & C Qiu

  2. Department of Social Medicine and Health Service Management, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China

    J Sun

Authors
  1. Y Zhu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. J Sun
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. W Lu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. X Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. X Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Z Han
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. C Qiu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to C Qiu.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Zhu, Y., Sun, J., Lu, W. et al. Effects of blueberry supplementation on blood pressure: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. J Hum Hypertens 31, 165–171 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/jhh.2016.70

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/jhh.2016.70

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links