NutriDex

The Supplement Research Compendium
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Blackcurrant

Ribes nigrum

Anthocyanin-dense berry for eyes and exercise

Moderate evidence 🍎Fruits

✚ Updated · How we grade evidence

Evidence tier
Moderate
Research weight
Citations
10 verified / 10
Classification
Fruits
❝
What the evidence says. Several controlled trials; effects real but modest or context-dependent.

Nutrition per serving 1 cup (112 g)

112gSERVING
  • Water 91.8 g83%
  • Sugars 13 g12%
  • Other carbs 4.2 g4%
  • Protein 1.6 g1%
  • Fat 0.5 g0%
What's in one serving, by weight — average composition (USDA).
Vitamin C100%+Potassium8%Manganese13%Iron10%Calcium5%Magnesium6%
One serving as % of the adult daily requirement (FDA Daily Values). The bold outer ring = 100% of a day's needs.
71 kcal1.6 g protein0 g fiber0.46 g fat
NutrientPer serving% daily value
Vitamin C203 mg225%
Potassium361 mg8%
Manganese0.29 mg13%
Iron1.7 mg10%
Calcium62 mg5%
Magnesium27 mg6%
Vitamin A13 mcg RAE2%
Copper0.1 mg11%

Composition data: USDA FoodData Central ↗

What is Blackcurrant?

Blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum) is a fruit used for exceptional vitamin c density (roughly 3x an orange) supporting immune and antioxidant status. NutriDex grades the human evidence as Moderate. Blackcurrant is one of the most anthocyanin- and vitamin C-dense common berries, and most human evidence centers on its anthocyanins rather than whole-fruit feeding. Randomized crossover trials of standardized New Zealand blackcurrant extract (105-210 mg anthocyanins) consistently increase fat oxidation during moderate cycling (about 27% in one female cohort) and show favorable but mixed performance and recovery effects. Small ophthalmology trials, mostly from Japan, report improved dark adaptation, possible relief of digital eye strain, and a 2-year glaucoma RCT (50 mg/day) showing better visual-field preservation and ocular blood flow. A controlled acute trial found that 600 mg blackcurrant anthocyanins blunted early postprandial glucose, insulin, and incretin responses, but lower doses did not. Broader anthocyanin meta-analyses link intake to modest LDL-cholesterol and inflammatory-marker reductions and lower CVD mortality in cohorts, though blood-pressure effects are negligible. Limits are significant: most trials are small, short, often industry-linked, use concentrated extracts rather than fresh fruit, and outcomes are heterogeneous. Overall the human evidence is moderate and strongest for metabolic/exercise endpoints and exploratory for vision.

Purported Benefits

✓Exceptional vitamin C density (roughly 3x an orange) supporting immune and antioxidant status
✓Anthocyanin-rich; improves dark adaptation and may relieve digital eye strain
✓Enhances fat oxidation and may aid endurance exercise performance and recovery (NZ extract)
✓Blunts postprandial glucose and insulin spikes at high anthocyanin doses
✓Anti-inflammatory effects (lowers CRP/TNF-alpha) and modest LDL-cholesterol reduction

Dosing & Compounds

Typical Dose
About 1 cup fresh berries (110-150 g); ergogenic/eye-health trials use 50-300 mg standardized anthocyanin extract daily
Active Compounds
Anthocyanins (delphinidin-3-rutinoside, cyanidin-3-rutinoside, delphinidin-3-glucoside)Vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid) - exceptionally highFlavonols (quercetin, myricetin, kaempferol glycosides)Phenolic acids (chlorogenic, p-coumaric acid)Proanthocyanidins (condensed tannins)Soluble and insoluble fiber (pectin)Potassium and manganeseGamma-linolenic acid (GLA) - concentrated in seed oil

Safety & Cautions

Generally safe as food. Concentrated anthocyanin/extract supplements are far above dietary amounts and lack long-term safety data. Blackcurrant contains vitamin K and GLA-rich seed oil, which may theoretically affect anticoagulants (warfarin) and antiplatelet drugs - consult a clinician if on these. The high vitamin C and oxalate content may matter for people prone to calcium-oxalate kidney stones. Whole fruit is acidic and high in natural sugars/fiber, which can cause GI upset in large amounts. Educational only — always check with your doctor or pharmacist before combining Blackcurrant with any medicine.

Key Studies ★ 10 studies

Systematic review & meta-analysis Xu 2021 ✓ Full text
Meta-analysis (44 RCTs, 15 cohorts): purified anthocyanins lowered LDL-C 5.43 mg/dL (8.40 at >=200 mg/day) and triglycerides; high dietary intake linked to 9% lower CVD mortality.
Systematic review & meta-analysis Yang 2017 ✓ Full text
Meta-analysis of 32 RCTs (1,491 participants): anthocyanin supplementation significantly reduced fasting and 2-h glucose, HbA1c, and total and LDL cholesterol.
Systematic review & meta-analysis Shah 2018 ✓ Full text
Meta-analysis of 17 RCTs: anthocyanin supplementation improved lipid profile (lower TG, LDL-C, ApoB; higher HDL-C) and significantly reduced TNF-alpha inflammatory marker.
Acute randomized double-blind crossover RCT Castro-Acosta 2016 ✓ Full text
600 mg blackcurrant anthocyanins reduced early (0-30 min) postprandial glucose and insulin and suppressed GIP/GLP-1 incretins vs placebo in 22 healthy adults; intermediate doses (150, 300 mg) were ineffective.
Randomized double-blind crossover RCT Strauss 2018 ✓ Full text
600 mg/day NZ blackcurrant extract (210 mg anthocyanins) for 7 days increased mean fat oxidation 27% during 2 h moderate cycling in 16 endurance-trained females vs placebo (P=0.047).
Randomized double-blind crossover RCT Cook 2015 ✓ PubMed
7-day NZ blackcurrant extract (300 mg, 105 mg anthocyanin) improved 16.1 km cycling time-trial performance by 2.4% and raised fat oxidation 27% during moderate cycling in 14 trained men.
Randomized double-blind crossover RCT Cook 2017 ✓ PubMed
Dose-response trial: 7-day NZ blackcurrant (300-900 mg) produced dose-dependent increases in fat oxidation during 120-min cycling at 65% VO2max in 15 trained male cyclists.
Randomized placebo-controlled double-masked trial Ohguro 2012 ✓ PubMed
2-year RCT in 38 open-angle glaucoma patients: 50 mg/day blackcurrant anthocyanins preserved visual-field mean deviation (P=0.039) and increased ocular blood flow vs placebo.
Narrative review Willems 2024 ✓ PubMed
Narrative review of 18 studies: 60% of performance studies and 78% of recovery studies reported positive effects from NZ blackcurrant (105-315 mg anthocyanins); remainder null or mixed.
Double-blind placebo-controlled crossover Nakaishi 2000 ✓ PubMed
Blackcurrant anthocyanoside (50 mg) dose-dependently improved dark adaptation (P=0.011) and showed a protective trend against VDT-induced transient myopic shift (P=0.064) in healthy adults.
10 sources cited · 10 verified Search all studies on PubMed ↗

Common questions about Blackcurrant

What is Blackcurrant used for?

Blackcurrant is most often taken for Exceptional vitamin C density (roughly 3x an orange) supporting immune and antioxidant status, Anthocyanin-rich; improves dark adaptation and may relieve digital eye strain, Enhances fat oxidation and may aid endurance exercise performance and recovery (NZ extract), Blunts postprandial glucose and insulin spikes at high anthocyanin doses. Anthocyanin-dense berry for eyes and exercise

Does Blackcurrant work — what does the evidence say?

Moderate evidence. Several controlled trials; effects real but modest or context-dependent. Blackcurrant is one of the most anthocyanin- and vitamin C-dense common berries, and most human evidence centers on its anthocyanins rather than whole-fruit feeding. Randomized crossover trials of standardized New Zealand blackcurrant extract (105-210 mg anthocyanins) consistently increase fat oxidation during moderate cycling (about 27% in one female cohort) and show favorable but mixed performance and recovery effects. Small ophthalmology trials, mostly from Japan, report improved dark adaptation, possible relief of digital eye strain, and a 2-year glaucoma RCT (50 mg/day) showing better visual-field preservation and ocular blood flow. A controlled acute trial found that 600 mg blackcurrant anthocyanins blunted early postprandial glucose, insulin, and incretin responses, but lower doses did not. Broader anthocyanin meta-analyses link intake to modest LDL-cholesterol and inflammatory-marker reductions and lower CVD mortality in cohorts, though blood-pressure effects are negligible. Limits are significant: most trials are small, short, often industry-linked, use concentrated extracts rather than fresh fruit, and outcomes are heterogeneous. Overall the human evidence is moderate and strongest for metabolic/exercise endpoints and exploratory for vision.

What is the typical dose of Blackcurrant?

About 1 cup fresh berries (110-150 g); ergogenic/eye-health trials use 50-300 mg standardized anthocyanin extract daily

Is Blackcurrant safe? Any cautions or side effects?

Generally safe as food. Concentrated anthocyanin/extract supplements are far above dietary amounts and lack long-term safety data. Blackcurrant contains vitamin K and GLA-rich seed oil, which may theoretically affect anticoagulants (warfarin) and antiplatelet drugs - consult a clinician if on these. The high vitamin C and oxalate content may matter for people prone to calcium-oxalate kidney stones. Whole fruit is acidic and high in natural sugars/fiber, which can cause GI upset in large amounts.

How many studies support Blackcurrant?

NutriDex cites 10 sources for Blackcurrant, graded "Moderate".

Cite this page
APA

Peh, D. (2026). Blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects & Evidence. NutriDex — The Supplement Research Compendium. Retrieved 26 Jun 2026, from https://nutridex.info/s/blackcurrant

BibTeX
@misc{nutridex_blackcurrant,
  author       = {Peh, Daryl},
  title        = {Blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects \& Evidence},
  year         = {2026},
  howpublished = {NutriDex --- The Supplement Research Compendium},
  url          = {https://nutridex.info/s/blackcurrant},
  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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