Wild Blueberries: New Review Explores Benefits for Heart, Metabolism and the Microbiome
January 28, 2026 | Source: The Microbiologist | by Linda Stewart
A new scientific review summarizes the growing body of research on wild blueberries and cardiometabolic health, which includes factors like blood vessel function, blood pressure, blood lipids (cholesterol and triglycerides) and blood sugar (glucose).
The review was published in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition and developed from an expert symposium hosted by the Wild Blueberry Association of North America (WBANA) in Bar Harbor, Maine. Twelve experts participated in the symposium from the fields of nutrition, food science, dietetics, nutrition metabolism and physiology, cardiovascular and cognitive function and health, gut health and microbiology, and preclinical and clinical models. Financial support was provided in the form of travel reimbursement to the symposium, but no funding was received to support the development of this manuscript.
The paper summarizes 12 human clinical trials on the cardiometabolic effects of wild blueberries spanning 24 years and four countries, as well as dozens of other clinical, translational, and mechanistic studies on wild blueberries, cultivated blueberries, and cardiometabolic outcomes.