NutriDex

The Supplement Research Compendium
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Blackberry

Rubus fruticosus (agg.)

Fibre-dense, anthocyanin-rich dark berry

Moderate evidence 🍎Fruits

✚ Updated · How we grade evidence

Evidence tier
Moderate
Research weight
Citations
11 verified / 11
Classification
Fruits
❝
What the evidence says. Several controlled trials; effects real but modest or context-dependent.

Nutrition per serving 1 cup (144 g)

144gSERVING
  • Water 127 g89%
  • Sugars 6.2 g4%
  • Fibre 7.6 g5%
  • Other carbs 0 g0%
  • Protein 2 g1%
  • Fat 0.7 g0%
What's in one serving, by weight — average composition (USDA).
Vitamin C34%Manganese40%Fibre27%Vitamin K24%Copper26%Folate9%Vitamin E11%
One serving as % of the adult daily requirement (FDA Daily Values). The bold outer ring = 100% of a day's needs.
62 kcal2 g protein7.6 g fiber0.7 g fat
NutrientPer serving% daily value
Vitamin C30 mg34%
Manganese0.93 mg40%
Fibre7.6 g27%
Vitamin K29 mcg24%
Copper0.24 mg26%
Folate36 mcg9%
Vitamin E1.7 mg11%
Potassium233 mg5%
Magnesium29 mg7%
Calcium42 mg3%

Composition data: USDA FoodData Central ↗

What is Blackberry?

Blackberry (Rubus fruticosus (agg.)) is a fruit used for may modestly improve blood lipids (ldl) based on anthocyanin/berry rct meta-analyses, though effects are small and not blackberry-specific. NutriDex grades the human evidence as Moderate. Human evidence for blackberry-specific health effects is moderate and largely extrapolated from anthocyanin- and berry-class research rather than blackberry alone. Meta-analyses of RCTs show purified anthocyanins modestly lower LDL cholesterol (roughly 3-5 mg/dL, of uncertain clinical relevance), and prospective cohorts link higher anthocyanin/flavonoid intake with lower coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes risk. A small 7-day crossover RCT feeding 600 g blackberries/day to overweight/obese men improved 24-h fat oxidation (~7%) and lowered insulin AUC (~21%), but the dose was far above typical intake and the completed sample was small (n=17-24). Berry effects on blood pressure, glycaemia, cognition and oxidative-stress biomarkers are inconsistent across trials, with substantial heterogeneity and few blackberry-only studies. Overall, blackberries are a nutrient-dense, high-fibre fruit whose benefits are plausible and supported by class-level data, but causal proof from large blackberry-specific RCTs is lacking.

Purported Benefits

✓May modestly improve blood lipids (LDL) based on anthocyanin/berry RCT meta-analyses, though effects are small and not blackberry-specific
✓Associated with lower type 2 diabetes risk in flavonoid/anthocyanidin cohort studies
✓Improved fat oxidation and insulin sensitivity in one short-term, high-dose blackberry feeding trial in overweight men
✓High soluble and insoluble fibre aids digestive health and satiety
✓Good source of vitamin C, manganese and vitamin K
✓Antioxidant capacity that may attenuate some oxidative-stress biomarkers, though human data are inconsistent

Dosing & Compounds

Typical Dose
A common serving is 1 cup (about 144 g, ~62 kcal). Dietary patterns and trials providing roughly 100-200 g berries/day are linked to metabolic benefit in class-level data. The one short-term blackberry-specific RCT used a high 600 g/day dose, far above typical intake.
Active Compounds
Anthocyanins (cyanidin-3-glucoside)Ellagitannins and ellagic acidVitamin C (ascorbic acid)Dietary fibre (insoluble + soluble/pectin)ManganeseVitamin K1 (phylloquinone)Vitamin E (tocopherols)FolateFlavonols (quercetin) and proanthocyanidins

Safety & Cautions

Generally very safe as a whole food. Rare allergy (Rosaceae/salicylate sensitivity) can occur. Seeds and skins are high in fibre, which may cause bloating if intake increases sharply. Blackberries contain moderate oxalate, so high intakes may matter for calcium-oxalate kidney-stone formers. They contribute vitamin K, which can affect warfarin dosing if intake changes markedly. The natural sugar load is modest, but concentrated juices/jams raise the glycaemic impact. No clinically important CYP3A4 (grapefruit-type) interaction is established. Educational only — always check with your doctor or pharmacist before combining Blackberry with any medicine.

Key Studies ★ 11 studies

Systematic review Lorzadeh 2025 ✓ Full text
Systematic review and meta-analysis (30 RCTs; 14 pooled, 733 participants): anthocyanins showed qualitative cognitive benefits but no significant pooled effect on memory domains; high heterogeneity.
Meta-analysis Front Nutr 2023 ✓ Full text
Meta-analysis of 41 RCTs (n=2,788) found anthocyanin supplementation significantly reduced triglycerides (SMD -0.10; 95% CI -0.18 to -0.01) and LDL-C (SMD -0.16; 95% CI -0.26 to -0.07) and raised HDL-C.
Meta-analysis PLOS One 2025 ✓ Source
Meta-analysis of 29 RCTs (n=2,006) in subjects with metabolic syndrome factors (searched to April 2024) found dietary anthocyanins improved dyslipidemia, glycemia and blood pressure outcomes.
Meta-analysis Front Nutr 2023 (T2D) ✓ Full text
Meta-analysis of 13 RCTs (n=703 with type 2 diabetes); median 320 mg/day anthocyanins over ~8 weeks significantly lowered HbA1c (WMD -0.31), FBG (WMD -0.63), 2-h glucose (WMD -1.60), TG (WMD -0.45) and LDL (WMD -0.26).
Meta-analysis Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 2023 ✓ PubMed
Systematic review and meta-analysis found anthocyanin-rich foods significantly improved cardiometabolic factors in individuals with metabolic syndrome.
Meta-analysis Xu 2021 ✓ Full text
Systematic review and meta-analysis (44 RCTs, 15 cohorts): purified anthocyanins lowered LDL by ~5.4 mg/dL; high dietary anthocyanin intake linked to 17% lower CHD and 27% lower total CVD incidence.
Meta-analysis Wilken 2022 ✓ Full text
Meta-analysis (21 RCTs, 1,355 participants): anthocyanin-rich berries produced a small LDL reduction (~3.2 mg/dL, deemed not clinically relevant), with no significant change in fasting glucose, HbA1c or blood pressure.
Systematic review Kimble 2021 ✓ Full text
Systematic review of 49 placebo-controlled RCTs: berry anthocyanins improved vascular/endothelial function (FMD) and showed BP effects mainly in at-risk groups, with mixed cognitive and metabolic effects.
Meta-analysis Liu 2018 ✓ Full text
Meta-analysis of 8 prospective cohorts (312,015 participants): higher total flavonoid and anthocyanidin intake inversely associated with type 2 diabetes risk (RR 0.89 for total flavonoids).
RCT Solverson 2018 ✓ Full text
7-day crossover RCT in overweight/obese men (n=17-24 completers): 600 g/day blackberries increased 24-h fat oxidation (~7%) and lowered insulin AUC (~21%), improving insulin sensitivity; glucose AUC unchanged.
Review Nutrients 2024 review ✓ Full text
Updated narrative review of human studies and clinical trials concludes anthocyanins improve glycemic control and lipid-related cardiometabolic biomarkers in type 2 diabetes.
11 sources cited · 11 verified Search all studies on PubMed ↗

Common questions about Blackberry

What is Blackberry used for?

Blackberry is most often taken for May modestly improve blood lipids (LDL) based on anthocyanin/berry RCT meta-analyses, though effects are small and not blackberry-specific, Associated with lower type 2 diabetes risk in flavonoid/anthocyanidin cohort studies, Improved fat oxidation and insulin sensitivity in one short-term, high-dose blackberry feeding trial in overweight men, High soluble and insoluble fibre aids digestive health and satiety. Fibre-dense, anthocyanin-rich dark berry

Does Blackberry work — what does the evidence say?

Moderate evidence. Several controlled trials; effects real but modest or context-dependent. Human evidence for blackberry-specific health effects is moderate and largely extrapolated from anthocyanin- and berry-class research rather than blackberry alone. Meta-analyses of RCTs show purified anthocyanins modestly lower LDL cholesterol (roughly 3-5 mg/dL, of uncertain clinical relevance), and prospective cohorts link higher anthocyanin/flavonoid intake with lower coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes risk. A small 7-day crossover RCT feeding 600 g blackberries/day to overweight/obese men improved 24-h fat oxidation (~7%) and lowered insulin AUC (~21%), but the dose was far above typical intake and the completed sample was small (n=17-24). Berry effects on blood pressure, glycaemia, cognition and oxidative-stress biomarkers are inconsistent across trials, with substantial heterogeneity and few blackberry-only studies. Overall, blackberries are a nutrient-dense, high-fibre fruit whose benefits are plausible and supported by class-level data, but causal proof from large blackberry-specific RCTs is lacking.

What is the typical dose of Blackberry?

A common serving is 1 cup (about 144 g, ~62 kcal). Dietary patterns and trials providing roughly 100-200 g berries/day are linked to metabolic benefit in class-level data. The one short-term blackberry-specific RCT used a high 600 g/day dose, far above typical intake.

Is Blackberry safe? Any cautions or side effects?

Generally very safe as a whole food. Rare allergy (Rosaceae/salicylate sensitivity) can occur. Seeds and skins are high in fibre, which may cause bloating if intake increases sharply. Blackberries contain moderate oxalate, so high intakes may matter for calcium-oxalate kidney-stone formers. They contribute vitamin K, which can affect warfarin dosing if intake changes markedly. The natural sugar load is modest, but concentrated juices/jams raise the glycaemic impact. No clinically important CYP3A4 (grapefruit-type) interaction is established.

How many studies support Blackberry?

NutriDex cites 11 sources for Blackberry, graded "Moderate".

Cite this page
APA

Peh, D. (2026). Blackberry (Rubus fruticosus (agg.)): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects & Evidence. NutriDex — The Supplement Research Compendium. Retrieved 26 Jun 2026, from https://nutridex.info/s/blackberry

BibTeX
@misc{nutridex_blackberry,
  author       = {Peh, Daryl},
  title        = {Blackberry (Rubus fruticosus (agg.)): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects \& Evidence},
  year         = {2026},
  howpublished = {NutriDex --- The Supplement Research Compendium},
  url          = {https://nutridex.info/s/blackberry},
  note         = {Reviewed by Dr Daryl Peh, MBBS Singapore, MMed FM. Accessed 2026-06-26}
}

For medical claims, citing the underlying primary studies linked above is preferred. NutriDex is an educational reference, not medical advice.

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