Blueberry breakthrough: better berries may pack more nutrients
NCT ID NCT04175106
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tested how well nutrients from two blueberry varieties and a processed berry bar are absorbed by the body. Twenty-nine healthy adults ate each food and had their blood and urine analyzed for 185 plant compounds. The goal is to see if breeding or processing can make fruits more nutritious, helping people get more health benefits without eating more servings.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- blueberry cultivars and a processed berry bar
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could show that specially bred blueberries or processed berry products offer better nutrition, helping people get more health benefits from fruit without eating more.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early proof-of-concept study in 29 healthy adults, so results may not apply to everyone. It measures nutrient absorption, not actual health outcomes, so benefits are uncertain.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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29 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Dec 2019
- Finished
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Oct 2021
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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25 to 65 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * male and female adults between 25-65 years; * non-smokers, non-tobacco users (no vaping nor deeping), or who ceased it ≥ 6 months ago; * who present no allergies to fruits or vegetables containing polyphenolic (e.g. anthocyanins, flavonoids) and phenolic acids such as blueberries, red apple, strawberry, red orange, purple onion and broccoli; * who present no allergies to dairy products, specifically whey protein, fructose or salicylates; * who are generally healthy and without chronic diseases including cancer, type 1 and 2 diabetes; * who are not prescribed thyroid or hypoglycemic medication or hormone replacement therapy (HRT) (due to the likely concomitant effects that these medications cause on the primary endpoint in the trial); * who has not been consuming any phytonutrient-containing supplements (e.g. with cocoa, coffee, berry, polyphenol, flavonoid, or anthocyanin extracts) for at least a month before the study and willing to not consume it during the study; * who lives within 40 miles from the North Carolina Research Campus (NCRC) campus; * those agreeing to restrict dietary intake of rich sources of phytonutrients targeted on the study during the wash-out and clinical sampling periods, agreeing to comply with a biological sampling protocol involving the collection of urine and blood samples, and to record their additional dietary intake over 2 days before each intervention, and two days after the intake of the intervention treatments; * who have BMI ≥18.5 and ≤ 30 (lbs/in2x703); * who have a successful (i.e., within normal range for healthy individuals) biochemical, hematological and urine analyses assessed by the clinical advisor as established during the screening period prior to final enrollment. Exclusion Criteria: * current smokers (vaping and deeping included), or ex-smokers ceasing \< 6 months before recruitment; * pregnant or breastfeeding; * subjects with existing or significant past medical history of vascular disease or medical conditions likely to affect the study measures i.e. vascular disease, circulatory (i.e. Reynaud's), diabetes, hepatic, renal, digestive, hematological, cancer, or thyroid disease; * fructose intolerant subjects or those with known allergy to salicylates, dairy products, specifically whey protein, or to berries; * those unprepared to adhere to dietary restrictions for 1 week preceding and during each intervention or unwilling to comply with the assessments per protocol; * who are in parallel participation in another research project involving dietary intervention and/or sampling of biological fluids/material; * those on therapeutic diets or having experienced substantial weight loss (to be judged by clinical advisor) within 3 months of screening; * those taking phytonutrient-containing supplements (e.g. with cocoa, coffee, berry, polyphenol, flavonoid, or anthocyanin extracts), unwilling to cease intake during, and 1 month preceding the trial, or unwilling to stop existing intake of other supplements or regular use of large-dose nutrient, herbal, and dietary supplements during the past one to two weeks, or planning to use them during the study; * prescribed thyroid, hypoglycemic medication or HRT medication -other medications will be assessed for suitability by the clinical advisor; * those having donated blood in the last month; * individuals that consume more than 1 and 2 drinks of alcohol per day for women and men, respectively, or more than 7 and 14 drinks per week for women and men, respectively (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture Dietary guidelines 2015-2020); * currently on a weight-reducing plan or using weight-loss medications (e.g., selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, steroids, Ritalin, appetite suppressants such as Diethylpropion or Amfepramone, and weight loss medications such as Alli, Xenical, Qsymia, Belviq, Contrave, and Saxenda), or planning to continue this treatment during the 10-week period of the study; * who has BMI\<18.5 and \>30 (lbs/in2x703); * who presents abnormal biochemical, hematological or urinary results, and measurements considered to be counter-indicative for the study, including: kidney and liver function, fasting glucose (especially if indicative of diabetes), lipid abnormalities, full blood count as established during the screening period prior to final enrollment.
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Plants for Human Health Institute, North Carolina State University
Kannapolis, North Carolina, 28081, United States
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