TABLE 11.
Intake of blueberries on cardiovascular and gut health, 2017–2023
| Citation | Study design | Study duration | Subject characteristics | n | Berry type, quantity | Control | Relevant outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardiovascular health | |||||||
| Curtis 2019 [67] | Double-blind, randomized controlled trial | 6 mo | OW and obese males and females (mean age 63 y) with MetS | 115 | Blueberry, 75 g/d or 150 g/d | Control powder | ↑FMD1, AIx1, HDL-C1, ApoA1 No Δ PWV, BP, LDL-C or LDL:HDL ratio |
| Stote 2020 [68] | Double-blind, randomized, controlled trial | 8 wk | Males with T2DM (mean age 67 y) | 52 | Blueberry, 22 g/d FDBP | Control powder | No Δ in TC, LDL-C, HDL-C, or BP |
| Curtis 2022 [69] | Double blind, randomized controlled trial | Acute (1 dose) | OW and obese males and females (mean age 63 y) with MetS | 45 | FDBP, 26 g/d (1 C whole fruit equivalent) | Isocaloric control powder | ↑HDL-C1, ApoA1 ↓ TC1 No Δ in LDL-C, TG, FMD, PWV, AIx, or BP |
| Krikorian 2022 [70] | Randomized, controlled trial | 12 wk | OW and obese males and females (mean age 56 y) | 27 | FDBP, ½ C whole fruit equivalent | Control powder devoid of fiber | No Δ in lipid profile |
| Wang 2022 [71] | Randomized, controlled. crossover trial | 1 wk | Normal to OW males and females (mean age 26 y) | 37 | Blueberry, 160 g/d FDBP, 20 g/d |
Fiber matched control capsule | No Δ in lipid profile, plasma nitrite, PWV, or BP |
Includes human clinical trials that focus on only one functional food (ie, a single type of nut or berry) with outcomes of known physiologically relevant measures related to vascular function and gut health over the past 5 y (2017–2023). Excludes interventions using mixtures of different types of nuts or berries, nut- or berry-containing meals, and nut or berry extracts or oils. Also excludes interventions where nut or berry intake was in combination with other potentially confounding factors (ie, diet or lifestyle modifications including physical activity and dietary counseling).
Abbreviations: AIx, augmentation index; ALA, alpha-linolenic acid; BP, blood pressure; FDBP, freeze-dried blueberry powder; FDRP, freeze-dried raspberry powder; FDSP, freeze-dried strawberry powder; FMD, flow-mediated dilation; HDL-C, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol; LDL-C, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; LDL:HDL, LDL cholesterol to HDL-cholesterol ratio; MetS, metabolic syndrome; OTU, operational taxonomic unit; OW, overweight; PWV, pulse wave velocity; SCFA, short-chain fatty acids; SysBP, systolic blood pressure; TC, total cholesterol; TC:HDL, total cholesterol to HDL-cholesterol ratio; T2DM, type 2 diabetes mellitus.
denotes statistical significance <0.05.