Wild blueberry juice may help protect the heart and improve systolic blood pressure in adults at risk of type-2 diabetes, according to a study. The study, which was published in the journal BMC Nutrition, used a randomized, single-blind human intervention to determine the effects of wild blueberry juice when consumed.

• Researchers recruited 19 individuals for the study. The participants were all female, with ages between 39 to 64 years, and all were at risk for type-2 diabetes.
• They were made to drink 240 mL of either wild blueberry juice or a placebo beverage as part of their diet for a week.
• Blood was collected to measure certain biomarkers. These included fasting plasma glucose, fasting serum insulin, surrogate markers of insulin sensitivity, triglycerides, inflammation, adhesion molecules, oxidative stress, and nitric oxide. The researchers also measured the participants’ blood pressure and endothelial function.
• Among all the biomarkers used, wild blueberry juice significantly lowered systolic blood pressure, with 116.0 ± 2.2 mmHg noted for participants who drank wild blueberry juice compared with 120.8 ± 2.2 mmHg in the placebo group.
• Based on biomarkers for serum concentration for nitrites and nitrates, the wild blueberry juice group also increased the production of nitric oxide, with 4.1 ± 0.4 μM after drinking wild blueberry juice. In comparison, the placebo group posted an increase of  2.9 ± 0.4 μM.

The findings revealed that short-term consumption of wild blueberry juice might protect the heart by improving systolic blood pressure in adults at risk for type-2 diabetes.

Find the full text of the study at this link.

Journal Reference:

Stote KS, Sweeney MI, Kean T, Baer DJ, Novotny JA, Shakerley NL, Chandrasekaran A, Carrico PM, Melendez JA, Gottschall-Pass KT. THE EFFECTS OF 100% WILD BLUEBERRY (VACCINIUM ANGUSTIFOLIUM) JUICE CONSUMPTION ON CARDIOMETABOLIC BIOMARKERS: A RANDOMIZED, PLACEBO-CONTROLLED, CROSSOVER TRIAL IN ADULTS WITH INCREASED RISK FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES. BMC Nutrition. 2017; 3(1). DOI: 10.1186/s40795-017-0164-0