Metabolic syndrome increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. It is associated with increased risk of death. Though a crazy number of people now suffer from it, a simple dietary change might make a big difference.
You fit the criterion for metabolic syndrome if you have at least 3 of 5 conditions: abdominal obesity, high blood sugar, high blood pressure, low levels of the heart healthy HDL cholesterol and elevated triglycerides. And if you fit the criterion, you are not alone. Metabolic syndrome may now affect a billion people, and in the United States, it affects approximately an insane one third of all adults.
This explosion in cases is serious because metabolic syndrome increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes as well as colon, liver and pancreatic cancers. The effect of the 5 components is cumulative: the more of them you have, the more your risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes goes up. So, the more you can resolve, the better your chances of preventing disease.
This systematic review and meta-analysis is the first to look at the effect of dietary anthocyanins on the components of metabolic syndrome.
Anthocyanins are the flavonoids that are responsible for the blues, purples and reds in fruits and vegetables, like blueberries, cherries and red cabbage. They are powerfully antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. They also prevent atherosclerosis, cancer and diabetes.
The systematic review and meta-analysis included 29 controlled studies of the effect of dietary anthocyanins on 2006 people with metabolic syndrome risk factors.
The results revealed that anthocyanins can significantly improve 3 of the components of metabolic syndrome. They significantly improve cholesterol, including increasing the heart healthy HDL cholesterol while decreasing total cholesterol, the heart harmful LDL cholesterol and triglycerides.
Anthocyanins also significantly reduce fasting blood glucose and HbA1c, which is important because HbA1c is the most important marker of long term blood sugar and diabetes control.
These results show that increasing your intake of anthocyanins can significantly address 3 of the 5 components of metabolic syndrome: low HDL cholesterol, high blood sugar and elevated triglycerides.
PLoS One. 2025 Feb 10;20(2):e0315504.