Abstract
Recent epidemiological and human intervention studies suggest that berry consumption may have cardiovascular health benefits. Blueberries are rich sources of potential bioactive compounds such as polyphenols, fiber, minerals and vitamins. To date, few clinical trials have been conducted investigating the effect of blueberrry consumption on clinically relevant biomarkers of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, showing that blueberry supplementation can decrease blood pressure, improve endothelial function and decrease arterial stiffness in people at risk of CVD, such as pre-hypertensive, overweight, obese or people with metabolic syndrome. However, in the context of dietary recommendations and primary prevention of CVD it is also important to investigate the effects of polyphenol-rich foods on healthy people. We have conducted several clinical studies showing that blueberry consumption can improve endothelial function in healthy individuals and that these effects correlate with plasma blueberry polyphenol metabolites. The evidence available on the effects of blueberries on cardiovascular function and the role of polyphenols as mediators of those effects will be discussed.