Cholesterol-lowering superfood lauded for 'remarkable' effects on blood sugar and hypertension

The strongest evidence points to better blood vessel function, specifically how well our vessels relax and respond.

The review also found encouraging results for blood pressure, cholesterol levels, including LDL and triglycerides, and blood sugar control in people with elevated cardiometabolic risk.

Larger trials are still needed to confirm these effects, the authors note. But the gut microbiome appears to play a major role in how these berries work their magic.

Wild blueberries are packed with fibre and polyphenols, and roughly 90-95 per cent of these compounds make it all the way to the colon without being absorbed earlier in digestion.

Once there, gut bacteria get to work transforming them into metabolites that can enter the bloodstream.

These microbial byproducts may account for up to 40 per cent of the active compounds found in blood after eating polyphenol-rich foods like wild blueberries.

One six-week study found that adults consuming 25 grams of freeze-dried wild blueberry powder daily saw increases in beneficial Bifidobacterium species.

The studies found benefits from consuming about one cup of wild blueberries daily over several weeks or months.

The berries were tested in various forms across the research, and the good news is that most wild blueberries are sold frozen, making them easy to store and use throughout the year.

You can add them into smoothies, stir them through porridge or yoghurt, scatter them over salads, or bake them into treats.

It's a simple addition to your daily routine that doesn't require any dramatic dietary overhaul.

"What makes wild blueberries remarkable is that they contain numerous polyphenols and nutrients and don't appear to exert their health benefits through just one mechanism," explained Associate Professor at Florida State University and lead author of the review, Sarah A. Johnson.

"The evidence suggests these berries may support multiple biological pathways relevant to cardiometabolic health, from blood vessel function to inflammation and oxidative stress, with effects that can vary from person to person."

Professor of Clinical Nutrition at the University of Maine, and co-author of the study, Dorothy Klimis-Zacas, added: "Wild blueberries have been valued by people for thousands of years. Traditional knowledge recognised their value."

These lowbush berries grow in Maine and Eastern Canada under harsh conditions, which may prompt them to produce around 30 different anthocyanin forms.