Anthocyanins In Blueberries Associated With Decreased Risk Of Hypertension, Heart Disease

U.S. and British researchers have found that bioactive compounds in blueberries called anthocyanins protect against hypertension. In fact, people who ate at least one serving of blueberries a week cut the risk of developing high blood pressure by 10 percent. Researchers studied health and diet data gathered from questionnaires completed by 134,000 women and 47,000 men over 14 years. None of the participants had hypertension at the start of the study. Researchers noted that participants consuming the highest amounts of anthocyanins, especially from blueberries in the U.S. and from blackcurrants and blood oranges in the U.K., were the most protected from hypertension. High blood pressure can lead to stroke and heart disease; healthcare costs associated with the disease amount to $300 billion annually.