Across 3 studies, all reported beneficial effects of anthocyanins on reducing LDL cholesterol, with moderate effect sizes observed in the highest-quality meta-analysis and RCT. The median study duration was 168 days (24 weeks), indicating that effects are typically observed over several months. The evidence is strongest in mixed populations including healthy adults and those with cardiometabolic conditions.
Caveats: Evidence base is small (only 3 studies) — conclusions should be considered preliminary. Available evidence is overwhelmingly positive — clinical literature in this area is subject to publication bias (null-result studies are less likely to be published or indexed). One study (2017 meta-analysis) showed high heterogeneity (I² = 85.2%), suggesting variability in effects across included RCTs.
LDL (SMD: -0.35; 95% CI: -0.66, -0.05; I² = 85.2%)
ANCOVA analyses reveal 24-week differences favoring the anthocyanin treatment in LDL cholesterol levels (ƞp2=0.078; p=0.015)
The subgroup analysis test showed that there was a significant effect of ACN on triglyceride concentrations, total cholesterol, LDL-C and HDL-C concentrations in all subgroups of participants (with vs. without dyslipidemia at baseline) and intervention type (supplement/extract vs. food).