Research

Mixed

Higher habitual intake of anthocyanins is associated with a significantly lower risk of nonfatal myocardial infarction in men, with the protective effect being stronger in normotensive individuals.

For men looking to reduce their risk of nonfatal heart attacks, increasing habitual intake of anthocyanin-rich fruits (like blueberries, blackberries, cherries, and red grapes) is a viable strategy. The benefit appears most pronounced in men with normal blood pressure. While this won't necessarily prevent fatal heart attacks or strokes, it is a low-risk dietary addition that aligns with broader cardiovascular health goals.

GoodQualifiesHIGH confidence
after multivariate adjustment, a higher habitual intake of anthocyanins was associated with a 14% lower risk of nonfatal MI (HR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.75, 1.00; P-trend = 0.098)... this association was stronger in normotensive participants (HR: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.69, 0.96; P-interaction = 0.03).
Aedín Cassidy et al. · American Journal of Clinical Nutrition · 2016

Why this rating

Large prospective cohort (n=43,880), long follow-up (24 years), rigorous adjustment for confounders, but observational design prevents causal inference.

Source

Habitual intake of anthocyanins and flavanones and risk of cardiovascular disease in men,

Aedín Cassidy et al. · American Journal of Clinical Nutrition · 2016

DOI 10.3945/ajcn.116.133132

cohort · n=43880Cited 226×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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