A small pilot study suggests that eating blueberries every day may influence gut bacteria and potentially affect mood in older adults. Participants who consumed blueberries regularly experienced a greater and more consistent reduction in depressive symptoms, along with subtle changes in genes associated with gut microbial enzymes. However, the improvements in depressive symptoms were not statistically significant when compared with the placebo group.
Although the findings do not establish that blueberries can relieve depression, they offer preliminary clues about a possible connection between blueberry consumption, the gut microbiome, and mental health. "Fiber and anthocyanins in blueberries have potential to modify the gut microbiome and metabolites that are relevant to depression in older adults," said lead author Courtney L. Millar, PhD, assistant scientist II at Hebrew SeniorLife's Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research and assistant professor of medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School.
"Our objective was to preliminarily determine the effect of blueberry consumption on the gut microbiome, metabolites, and depressive symptoms." Testing the Effects of Daily Blueberry Consumption To investigate the potential connection, researchers recruited adults aged 65 and older who were physically inactive and experiencing mild depressive symptoms. The pilot study used a randomized, double-blind, parallel-arm, placebo-controlled design to evaluate whether consuming blueberries could influence gut microbes and mood. Over three months, participants consumed either 48 grams of blueberry powder each day (approximately two cups of fresh berries) or a matching placebo powder.
Researchers examined the participants' gut microbiomes using metagenomic sequencing, which allowed them to measure the abundance of different microbial species and genes. They also used liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry to analyze gut-derived fecal short-chain fatty acids, compounds produced through microbial activity. Depressive symptoms were assessed using validated questionnaires administered before and after the three-month intervention.
Blueberries Linked to Subtle Changes in Gut Microbial Activity A total of 18 participants completed the study. Most were women, and the group was predominantly white (placebo group, n = 8; mean age: 75 ± 6; blueberry group, n = 10; mean age: 71 ± 4). Despite the encouraging pattern in depressive symptoms among participants consuming blueberries, the researchers found no statistically significant difference in mood improvements between the blueberry and placebo groups.
The gut microbiome results also revealed a mixed picture. The overall abundance of microbial species, MetaCyc metabolic pathways, and short-chain fatty acid metabolites remained unchanged. However, researchers identified statistically significant changes within the blueberry group in the abundance of genes associated with several gut microbial enzymes.
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