Are Blueberries An Effective Alternative to Antihypertensive Drugs?

Daily consumption of blueberries by post-menopausal women could decrease arterial stiffness and blood pressure, according to a recent study.

“Postmenopausal women have a high prevalence of hypertension and often develop arterial stiffness thereby increasing cardiovascular disease risk,” said the study’s authors.
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“Although antihypertensive drug therapies exist, increasing numbers of people prefer natural therapies. In vivo studies and a limited number of clinical studies have demonstrated the antihypertensive and vascular-protective effects of blueberries.”

For the study, half of 24 women who were past menopause and displayed borderline high-blood pressure consumed 22 grams of freeze-dried blueberry powder—which was equal to a cup of fresh blueberries—while another 24 women took a placebo powder that did not contain any blueberries.

Researchers found a 5% to 6% drop in blood pressure (with an average blood pressure of 131/75 mm) in the women who had consumed blueberry powder after 8 weeks of the study.

The study further showed a 68% increase in blood nitric oxide levels among women who consumed the blueberry powder.

According to researchers, a rise in nitric oxide could be a contributor in lowering the blood pressure of those consuming blueberry powder since it would relax and widen the walls of blood vessels.

The complete study is published in the January issue of the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

-Michelle Canales

Reference:

Johnson SA, Figueroa A, Navaei N, et al. Daily blueberry consumption improves blood pressure and arterial stiffness in postmenopausal women with pre- and stage 1-hypetension: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2015 January [epub ahead of print] doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2014.11.001.