Effects of Blueberry Consumption on Cardiovascular Health in Healthy Adults: A Cross‐Over Randomised Controlled Trial

Abstract

Blueberries are rich in polyphenols, and their effect on cardiovascular health, including risk factors for endothelial dysfunction and hypertension, has been investigated in interventional studies. However, the difference between blueberry treatments in varied forms for their cardiovascular‐protective effect remains poorly understood. The current study assessed the effects of whole blueberry and freeze‐dried blueberry powder compared to a control on cardiovascular health in young adults. A cross‐over randomised controlled trial (RCT) was implemented with 1 week of treatment for three treatment groups, each followed by 1 week of wash out period. Systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), pulse wave velocity (PWV), plasma cholesterol (low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‐C), high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL‐C), and total cholesterol) and triglyceride levels (TAG), and glucose and nitrite (NO2‐) concentrations were compared following fresh blueberry, freeze‐dried blueberry powder, and control treatments. Thirty‐seven participants with a mean age of 25.86 ± 6.81 completed the study. No significant difference was observed among fresh blueberry, blueberry powder, and the control arm. Plasma NO2‐ levels were improved by 68.66% and 4.34% separately following whole blueberry and blueberry powder supplementations compared to the baseline, whereas the control supplementation reported a decrease (−9.10%), although it was not statistically significant. There were no other effects shown for SBP, DBP, total cholesterol, HDL‐C, LDL‐C, TAG, or glucose. No difference was shown between whole blueberry and freeze‐dried blueberry powder consumption for improving cardiovascular health.