Blueberry supplements and depression and anxiety symptoms
What it found
In animal studies and a small number of human studies, blueberry supplementation improved symptoms of anxiety and depression.
The authors say more research in people is needed.
What they found
Studies in people
Human studies of mood
A few small studies in healthy adolescents, children, young adults, postpartum women, and healthy adults found improvements in mood or fewer depression and anxiety symptoms after blueberry consumption.
Cognitive effects
Some clinical studies suggest blueberry may improve executive function, memory, and cognition, sometimes along with better metabolic or vascular measures. But benefits differ between studies.
Animal and lab studies
Animal studies of stress
In rats exposed to stress, a 2% blueberry diet given before or after prevented anxiety-like behaviors and changes in brain chemicals. It did so without raising norepinephrine like the drug sertraline.
Animal studies of depression
In rodents with LPS-induced depression, blueberry extract prevented depressive-like behaviors and reduced inflammation and oxidative stress. The effects were similar to fluoxetine.
Studies in people and animals
Gut microbiome link
Blueberry polyphenols may act as prebiotics, promoting beneficial gut bacteria and reducing inflammation, which could influence mood. The authors say more research is needed on the exact mechanisms.
What the authors conclude
“Overall, prior studies strongly indicate that blueberries have beneficial effects on various aspects of health.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that prior studies strongly indicate blueberries have beneficial effects on various aspects of health, including the cardiovascular system, gut microbiome, immune system, and metabolism.
- They state that blueberries can be readily implemented as a nutraceutical approach for conditions such as GAD and MDD, especially in rural settings.
- They call for further investigation of blueberry in the treatment of depression and anxiety in human populations, particularly in rural settings.
How it was done
Depression and anxiety are common and costly, and existing treatments are not always accessible, especially in rural areas. The authors wanted to see if blueberries could be a new, accessible option.
The authors reviewed the literature on major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder and on blueberry supplementation. They looked at animal studies and human studies that measured mood, anxiety, and related biological changes.
What it can’t tell you
- Most of the strong evidence comes from animal studies, which cannot show what happens in people.
- The human studies were small and used different amounts and forms of blueberry, so it is not clear how much or what type would help.
- This review cannot prove that blueberries cause improvements in depression or anxiety; it only shows associations.
Who paid
- Funding
- Funded by NIH HHS; NINDS NIH HHS; U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (from the PubMed record).
- Conflicts
- The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The funders had no role in the writing of the manuscript.
- Authors work at
- Louisiana State University, USA
The paper
- Title
- Addressing Mental Health in Rural Settings: A Narrative Review of Blueberry Supplementation as a Natural Intervention
- Type
- ReviewThe authors read earlier studies and describe what they found. It isn’t a new study.
- Evidence
- Studies in people · animals · lab
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Venable KE, Lee CC, Francis J (2024). Addressing Mental Health in Rural Settings: A Narrative Review of Blueberry Supplementation as a Natural Intervention. Nutrients. doi:10.3390/nu16203539Free full textPubMed 39458533DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error