How blueberries lower blood pressure
Lisa Vogel studied departmental journalism with a focus on medicine and biosciences at Ansbach University and deepened her journalistic knowledge in the master's degree in multimedia information and communication. This was followed by a traineeship in the editorial team. Since September 2020 she has been writing as a freelance journalist for
More posts by Lisa Vogel All content is checked by medical journalists.Blood pressure lowerers from the fruit basket: Those who eat blueberries every day can lower their blood pressure significantly. One ingredient in particular improves vascular function.
Whether in yoghurt or as a snack in between: The fruits, also known as blueberries, are becoming increasingly popular. They not only taste aromatic, because of their many health-promoting ingredients they are now considered to be local “superfruits”. They contain large amounts of provitamin A, vitamins E and C as well as so-called bioflavonoids.
Among other things, the consumption of blueberries should counteract aging processes, protect against cell damage and thus protect against dementia, cancer and heart attacks. Dr. Ana Rodriguez-Mateos from the Department of Nutritional Sciences at King’s College London has now conducted a study to investigate the effect of berries on another important health factor: blood pressure.
200 grams of blueberries daily
For one month, the researchers served 40 study participants one drink a day. In the active ingredient group, the drink contained 200 grams of blueberries. The control group received a similar drink without the fruit. The scientists examined the blood and urine values of the participants as well as the blood pressure and the elasticity of the upper arm artery - an indicator of the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Berry drink lowers blood pressure
The first effect on the blood vessels was already apparent two hours after consuming the blueberry drink. The ingredients of the berries improve the function of the endothelial cells. This cell layer lines the inside of the blood vessels and regulates the vascular function. For example, the upper arm arteries of blueberry drinkers adapted better to the blood flow than in the control group.
This improves blood pressure in the long term: after a month, the systolic pressure of the blueberry group fell by 5 millimeters of mercury (mmHg). "Anyone who eats blueberries every day for their entire life and the effect actually persists could reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease by up to 20 percent," says nutritionist Rodriguez-Mateos.
Effect due to blueberry blue
The scientists also looked into the question of which ingredients in the berries are responsible for this effect. In tests, they compared the effects of the individual ingredients with the effects of the entire drink.
One component in particular stood out: the anthocyanins it contains, the plant pigment that gives the berries their strong blue. “Even though it's best to eat the whole berry, our study showed that the greatest effects are due to the anthocyanins it contains,” says Rodriguez-Mateos.
Every third person is affected
If the blood pressure is above a value of 140 to 90 mmHg, doctors speak of high blood pressure (hypertension). In Germany around 20 to 30 million people are affected - that is almost one in three. If left untreated, this damages the blood vessels and leads to cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and strokes. The problem: high blood pressure often goes unnoticed for a long time because it usually does not cause any symptoms. Regular blood pressure measurements are therefore important in order to take countermeasures in good time.
