Anthocyanins Slash Infammation and Improve Blood Lipid Profile

Taking supplementary anthocyanins, antioxidant pigments found in fruit and vegetables, may help people with high cholesterol to improve their lipid profile and reduce inflammation. Researchers from Sun Yat-Sen University and Shaoguan University in China recruited 150 people with high cholesterol for the double-blind, randomized study. Participants were randomly assigned to receive 320 mg of a purified anthocyanin mixture or a placebo for 24 weeks. Results showed that anthocyanin supplementation led to a 22% reduction in C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and a 12.3 % reduction in levels of soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1), both of which are inflammatory compounds. Furthermore, LDL-cholesterol levels fell by 10% and HDL-cholesterol levels rose by 14% in those in the anthocyanin group, compared to a 0.3% increase in LDL and a 0.9% decrease in HDL in the control group. The researchers concluded: “Anthocyanin mixture reduced the inflammatory response in hypercholesterolemic subjects.”