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Anthocyanins – Health in the Form of Colors

February 6, 2021Advices, Articles for nutrition, food additives, health, Healthy day, herbs

Anthocyanins ? The mass culture has been talking for centuries about the beneficial properties of fruits and other natural foods rich in antioxidants. Although we are taught to eat healthily, we often do not know the reason for this.

In recent decades, nutritionists and scientists have paid increasing attention to active micronutrients in food, and the trend is not missed by the world of food supplements, in which substances such as flavonoids, anthocyanins and other antioxidants are becoming increasingly popular.

What are anthocyanins?

Anthocyanins are water-soluble pigments that cause the red, blue and purple color of plants. Anthocyanin comes from the Greek words antos (color) and kianos (blue). Anthocyanins themselves are not a completely independent class of plant substances, but belong to the genus class of flavonoids and do not have an odor and aroma.

These plant flavonoids are found in all parts of plants – root, stem, flowers, antennae, leaves and fruits. Anthocyanins themselves are derivatives of other pigments – anthocyanidins, but contain an added molecule of sugars.

What do anthocyanins contain?

Anthocyanins are dominant in a number of natural foods such as honey, wine, fruits, vegetables, nuts, olive oil, cocoa, cereals and herbal teas. Anthocyanins are the cause of the dark color of many fruits, being the predominant antioxidants in raspberries, blackberries, elderberries, black grapes, chokeberries, blueberries, grapes and many other dark fruits.

They are one of the most active bioflavonoids with many proven and proclaimed beneficial properties.

How do anthocyanins work?

The first feature of anthocyanins is that they never function independently. Anthocyanins usually interact with other bioflavonoid or non-bioflavonoid components to reach their full potential. In fact, the interaction of plant chemicals in the host plant is a typical mechanism of evolution.

There are over 4,000 described bioflavonoids, each with alternative properties and a complex structure in mixtures with other plant chemicals. Anthocyanins are contained in foods through mixtures of bioflavonoids, as well as absorbed through such mixtures.

Each plant has a unique complex of bioflavonoids. This is normal, and the answer lies again in evolution. Plants cannot rely on a single phytochemical and a single strategy against the background of many dangers and changes in the environment.

They need complex mechanisms and are provided only by “cocktails” of bioflavonoids. Thus, one study demonstrated that the use of red wine and grape juice showed a stronger antioxidant effect when combined, due to the reaction between the anthocyanins in the grape seeds and the grape skin.

Such a study demonstrated a stronger effect of the combined use of catechins and quercetin than when taken alone. This does not mean that anthocyanins alone will not have an effect, but it will be reduced and its full potential will not be revealed.

Another recognized problem in science is the instability of anthocyanins in classical forms of extraction of plant extracts. They are extremely susceptible to oxidation and decomposition processes.

Most classical phytochemical methods can destroy or inactivate anthocyanins (eg column chromatography), but there are also those that preserve the bioactivity of flavonoids (eg vacuum column chromatography). The problem with food supplements is that nowhere or very rarely is the way in which the active substances are extracted reflected.

The third problem is related to the nature of anthocyanins. They are usually substances that require the so-called “stress factor”. These are external factors and conditions under the influence of which plants activate the biochemical processes associated with the synthesis of anthocyanins.

This gives rise to the possibility that plants cultivated for industrial purposes do not contain the same amount of anthocyanins as those in the natural environment.

To achieve this, it is necessary to create an artificially favorable environment that affects the source of anthocyanins. With proper cultivation, it is possible to obtain a product with a higher content than those in the natural environment.

Similar results show plant species subjected to cellular changes in the laboratory environment. Whether this happens to producers growing and extracting anthocyanins, and under what conditions – can not be understood from the product packaging.

Finally, despite numerous studies, scientists have not found a way for anthocyanins to be broken down in the digestive system and involved in metabolic reactions. The only way to judge their properties is the end results in terms of health. It is this ignorance that cannot answer questions such as the influence of certain foods, health conditions or features of the body on the digestibility and action of anthocyanins.

There is another side of the coin in which many scientists dispute the possibility of anthocyanins to be absorbed in the human body at all or their digestibility is reduced to a few percent.

Proven and potential beneficial properties in humans:


Due to the variety of mixtures and the purpose of anthocyanins from different plant sources, it is difficult to note all the universal properties for them. Many of them have their own unique properties and effects, but most have a strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect.

  • Strong antioxidant activity and prevention of DNA damage and high levels of lipid perioxidation;

  • Cranberry anthocyanins not only demonstrate a strong antioxidant effect, but also inhibit the initial phase of chemically induced carcinogenesis (cancer) by inhibiting the enzyme quinone reductase. More research is needed on the effectiveness of these anthocyanins in the prevention and detection of cancer in their early stages;

  • Intake of currants (currants – ribes nigrum) and bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) significantly improves adaptation to night vision. Blackcurrant also helps to regenerate the visual pigment – rhodopsin;

  • The protective properties against oxidative stress make anthocyanins a potential agent against the prevention of heart disease. Their advantage is their ability to incorporate into endothelial cells (single-body dysfunction is a common cause of cardiovascular disease). Anthocyanins from black elderberry (sambucus nigra) and red wine were used in the research;
  • The use of red wine and red grapes helps prevent heart attack by slowing atherosclerosis and reducing coronary thrombosis. White wine has no similar effect;
  • In a study on the effect of bilberry and cranberry, the researchers concluded that the positive effect of anthocyanins on the development of atherosclerosis and neurodegeneration caused by aging is due to their effect on endothelial cells;
  • Anthocyanins help prevent strokes caused by oxidative stress and inflammation;
  • Taking 600 mg of anthocyanins daily protects diabetics from excessive collagen synthesis, which can lead to blindness;
  • Without being conclusively proven, the benefit of chronic fatigue syndrome has been suggested because one of the causes of the disease is oxidative stress;
  • They help maintain the function of the capillaries and prevent the accumulation of leukocytes on the capillary walls.

Proven properties in animals (studies in rats, mice and hamsters):

  • Anthocyanins from blackberry extract show a strong anti-inflammatory effect in acute airway inflammation caused by carrageenan intake. They also play a positive role in the prevention of carrageenan-induced pleurisy. In a comparative study, blackberry anthocyanins showed a stronger and longer-lasting anti-inflammatory effect than the bioflavonoid rutin;
  • Strong protective role at high levels of lipid perioxidation, in conditions of vitamin E deficiency. Intake of 200 mg of isolated anthocyanins per day was used;
  • Neuroprotective effect of anthocyanin cyanidin-3-0-beta-d-glucopyranoside isolated from mulberry. Protects nerve cells from the radical hydrogen peroxide, and plays a preventive role in cerebral ischemic injuries;
  • Protective effect of hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa L) on the liver, reducing inflammation, leukocyte entry and necrosis;
  • Certain types of anthocyanins, depending on their structure, affect the metabolism of tumor cells by blocking the activation of the enzyme protein kinase. There are studies on anthocyanins from cherries and soybeans, which also affect different phases of carcinogenesis. Due to the fact that the research uses extracts (containing many anthocyanins) or mixtures of isolated anthocyanins, it is difficult for scientists to judge exactly which are the active ingredients. Also, anthocyanins themselves do not have a universal effect, and their anti-cancer properties are associated with the impact of sometimes completely different metabolic processes;

  • Anthocyanin cyanidin-3-0-glucoside and extracts of black elderberry and raisins maintain high levels of vitamin E in the body;

  • Sweet potato anthocyanin demonstrates strong antioxidant activity and protects the brain from lipid peroxidation damage, with tests on rats showing a positive effect on brain function;

  • The use of anthocyanins from blueberries, strawberries and spinach shows a positive effect on aging-induced neuronal, brain and motor deficits.
  • Recent scientific studies reveal the potential of anthocyanins in the prevention of diabetes, pancreatic function and help lower blood sugar. Anthocyanins from chokeberry and red wine show promising results;

Possible side effects

Despite the large number of studies, no significant side effects of anthocyanins have been found so far. Their rich content in a number of natural foods has demonstrated over time their safety in consumption, including for children and pregnant women.

Regarding the use of additional anthocyanins in the form of supplements, it is advisable to follow the doses and instructions of the manufacturer. It is possible that the plant extract, a source of anthocyanins, contains other substances that could have side effects. There is also a lack of research on the long-term use of anthocyanins.

What to combine anthocyanins with?

As mentioned, the nature of anthocyanins presupposes that their action is complemented by other bioflavonoids, so it is advisable to combine different types of natural extracts.

The beneficial properties of combinations such as resveratrol and grape seed extract, quercetin and catechins, black grapes and anthocyanins from elderberry, blackberry and blueberry have been proven. It is also possible that there are combinations of natural agents in which one counteracts the other. For example, pectin has been shown to neutralize many antioxidants, including anthocyanins.

Recommended doses

It is difficult to answer the exact dose because anthocyanins are of many types and each is effective in different doses. In a laboratory setting, doses of 200 to 600 mg were used in a single dose without any side effects. Doses without registered side effects reach up to 400 mg / kg active weight.

It has been found that a well-balanced diet should provide approximately 1 g of bioflavonoids per day, which is a completely safe amount, but in this case mixtures are considered, not individual species, so isolated anthocyanins should not be freely taken in these amounts.

A good example is resveratrol, whose recommended doses are controversial and range between 50 and 250 mg daily. Despite the relatively small risk of overdose, the best approach would be to take into account the individual characteristics of the particular anthocyanin or plant extract, and to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations. The use of higher doses must be done after consultation with a doctor or specialist in the field.

In which supplements can we find anthocyanins?

Anthocyanins can be freely found as separate products. They are often isolated (resveratrol, quercetin), but in most cases are part of a plant extract (extracts of green tea, grape seeds, blackberries, blueberries and many others). The more popular anthocyanins are found in the range of most brands of health supplements, and specific ones can be found in larger manufacturers.

Increasingly, combined antioxidant formulations are being provided that include various types of extracts containing anthocyanins. They are a good choice for the consumer given the combination of different sources in one product. This is an easy, economical and non-committal choice. Disadvantages of these complexes are the reduced doses and the inability to approach each individual anthocyanin individually. Anthocyanins and mixtures thereof can be found in multivitamin complexes and health formulas for specific problems, and the advantages and disadvantages apply in full to the above.

 

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