Purple power: Should you eat more anthocyanins?

• Anthocyanins give plants their red, pink, purple, blue, or black colors.

• Top sources include açaí berries, blackcurrants, and black raspberry.

• A new meta-analysis investigates anthocyanins’ links with health outcomes.

• Combining data from 91 studies, the scientists conclude that an anthocyanin-rich diet may support good cardiometabolic health.

You’ve probably heard the phrase “eat the rainbow.” It’s a mantra we live by here at ZOE.

A recent meta-analysis, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, investigates whether consuming more anthocyanin-rich plants is associated with better metabolic and cardiovascular health.

In this article, we’ll explain what anthocyanins are, what the study found, and how to add more to your diet.

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What are anthocyanins?

Anthocyanins are one of a broad range of compounds called polyphenols. You can learn about the many benefits of polyphenols in this article, but in short, they include:

• Antioxidant effects.

• Anti-inflammatory effects.

• Feeding your gut microbes.

Anthocyanins give plants a red, pink, purple, blue, or black color. Interestingly, anthocyanins are also responsible for giving leaves their reddish hues during autumn.

Some of the top edible sources include:

• açaí berries

• blackcurrant

• black raspberry

• raspberry

• blueberry

• cherry

• black bean

• red cabbage

For instance, they write that earlier research lumped healthy people in with those who have cariometabolic diseases.

They explain that people with health conditions are more likely to experience larger improvements, so the results may not be applicable to people without health issues.

Also, some of the research did not accurately measure anthocyanin intake.

So, in the new meta-analysis, the authors focused solely on healthy individuals and carefully calculated their total anthocyanin intake from all sources (except wine).

The power of anthocyanins

In total, the meta-analysis used data from 91 studies. This included data from: 

• Prospective cohort studies, in which a large group of participants is followed over months or years.

• Randomized controlled trials (RCTs), which are tightly controlled, involve a small number of participants and are generally relatively brief. 

They found that across the 18 prospective cohort studies, higher intakes of anthocyanins was associated with a reduced risk of:

• cardiovascular disease incidence (26% reduction)

• heart attack (18%)

• type 2 diabetes (11%)

• cardiovascular disease mortality (9%)

• high blood pressure, or hypertension (8%)

In RCTs, because of their shorter duration, scientists look for changes in markers of disease, rather than disease events. The RCTs in this meta-analysis showed that anthocyanins were associated with improved:

• Endothelial function: Endothelial cells line your blood vessels and help control what compounds enter and leave blood vessels. They’re also important for managing inflammation, blood pressure, and clotting.

• Postprandial arterial stiffness: After eating, especially high-fat, high-refined-carb, or high-salt meals, arteries can become stiffer. This is an early indicator of blood vessel aging and metabolic stress.

• Chronic arterial stiffness (at higher doses): As above, but not just after eating. The stiffness forces the heart to work harder and raises the risk of hypertension, heart attack, and stroke.

• Fasting insulin: This is a sign of good metabolic health and insulin sensitivity.

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Should you increase your anthocyanin intake?

The results of this meta-analysis suggest that consuming anthocyanin-rich foods is a smart move, but you don’t need to get hung up on it.

Anthocyanins are just one group of the wonderfully healthy compounds found in plants. 

So, rather than purely focusing on anthocyanins, aim to eat 30 different plants each week and consciously try to eat the rainbow. 

If you’d like some inspiration, here are some recipes that include anthocyanins while boosting your overall plant diversity:

• Pistachio and Rose Stuffed Dates: Pistachio, rose petals, and dates all contain anthocyanins.  

• Chipotle roasted squash and black bean traybake: This recipe includes anthocyanin-containing foods, including onions (as long as they are red or purple), black beans, and butternut squash.

• Pomegranate spritz mocktail: If you’re thirsty, pomegranate provides anthocyanins.

• Miso aubergine (eggplant) and hispi cabbage: Guess what compounds give eggplant their purple hue…

• Rainbow veggie fritters: The red cabbage and Brussel’s sprouts in this recipe deliver anthocyanins.