Maqui Berry

1. Loaded With Antioxidants
Free radicals are unstable molecules that can cause cell damage, inflammation and disease over time (2Trusted Source).

One way to prevent these effects is by eating foods rich in antioxidants, such as maqui berry. Antioxidants work by stabilizing free radicals, thus helping prevent cell damage and its adverse effects.

Studies suggest that diets high in antioxidants may reduce your risk of chronic diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes and arthritis (3Trusted Source).

Maqui berries are reportedly packed with up to three times more antioxidants than blackberries, blueberries, strawberries and raspberries. In particular, they’re rich in a group of antioxidants called anthocyanins (4Trusted Source, 5Trusted Source, 6Trusted Source).

Anthocyanins give the fruit its deep purple color and may be responsible for many of its purported health benefits (7Trusted Source, 8Trusted Source).

In a four-week clinical study, people who took 162 mg of a maqui berry extract three times daily had significantly reduced blood measures of free radical damage, compared to the control group (9Trusted Source).

SUMMARY
Maqui berry is packed with antioxidants, which may reduce your risk of chronic diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes and arthritis.
2. May Help Fight Inflammation
Research suggests that maqui berries have the potential to combat conditions associated with inflammation, including heart disease, arthritis, type 2 diabetes and certain lung conditions.

In multiple test-tube studies, compounds in maqui berry have demonstrated powerful anti-inflammatory effects (10Trusted Source, 11Trusted Source).

Similarly, test-tube studies involving the concentrated maqui berry supplement Delphinol suggest that maqui may reduce inflammation in blood vessels — making it a potential ally in preventing heart disease (6Trusted Source).

Additionally, in a two-week clinical study, smokers who took 2 grams of maqui berry extract twice daily had significant decreases in measures of lung inflammation (10Trusted Source).

SUMMARY
Maqui berry demonstrates promising anti-inflammatory effects in test-tube and clinical studies. This suggests that it may help combat conditions associated with inflammation.

3. May Protect Against Heart Disease
Maqui berry is rich in anthocyanins, potent antioxidants that have been linked to a healthier heart.

The Nurses Health Study in 93,600 young and middle-aged women found that diets highest in anthocyanins were associated with a 32% reduced risk of heart attacks, compared to those lowest in these antioxidants (12Trusted Source).

In another large study, diets high in anthocyanins were associated with a 12% reduced risk of high blood pressure (13Trusted Source).

Though more definitive research is needed, maqui berry extract may also help reduce heart disease risk by lowering blood levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol.

In a three-month clinical study in 31 people with prediabetes, 180 mg of the concentrated maqui berry supplement Delphinol reduced blood LDL levels by an average of 12.5% (14Trusted Source).

SUMMARY
The potent antioxidants in maqui berry may help lower “bad” LDL cholesterol levels in your blood and reduce heart disease risk.
ADVERTISING

4. May Aid Blood Sugar Control
Maqui berry may help naturally moderate blood sugar levels.

Test-tube studies have demonstrated that compounds found in maqui berry may positively affect the way your body breaks down and uses carbs for energy (15Trusted Source).

In a three-month clinical study in people with prediabetes, 180 mg of maqui berry extract once daily reduced average blood sugar levels by 5% (14Trusted Source).

Though this 5% decrease seems small, it was enough to bring participants’ blood sugar down to normal levels (14Trusted Source).

While more research is needed, these benefits may be due to maqui’s high anthocyanin content.

In a large population study, diets high in these compounds were associated with a significantly reduced risk of type 2 diabetes (16Trusted Source).

SUMMARY
Diets high in the plant compounds found in maqui berry are associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. Plus, one clinical study suggests that maqui berry extract may help lower blood sugar in people with prediabetes.

5. May Support Eye Health
Every day, your eyes are exposed to many sources of light, including the sun, fluorescent lights, computer monitors, phones and televisions.

Excessive light exposure can cause damage to your eyes (17Trusted Source).

However, antioxidants — such as those found in maqui berry — can offer protection against light-induced damage (17Trusted Source, 18).

A test-tube study found that maqui berry extract prevented light-induced damage in eye cells, suggesting that the fruit may be beneficial for eye health (19Trusted Source).

However, maqui berry extracts are much more concentrated in beneficial antioxidants than the fruit itself. More research is needed to determine if eating the fruit has similar effects.

SUMMARY
Maqui berry extract may help reduce light-induced damage to your eyes. However, more research is needed to determine if the fruit itself has similar effects.

6. May Promote a Healthy Gut
Your intestines house trillions of bacteria, viruses and fungi — collectively known as your gut microbiome.

Though this may sound alarming, a diverse gut microbiome can positively influence your immune system, brain, heart and — of course — your gut (20Trusted Source).

However, issues can arise when bad bacteria outweigh beneficial ones.

Interestingly, studies suggest that plant compounds in maqui and other berries may help reshape your gut microbiota, increasing the number of good bacteria (21Trusted Source, 22Trusted Source).

These beneficial bacteria metabolize the plant compounds, using them to grow and multiply (21Trusted Source).

SUMMARY
Maqui berry may benefit gut health by promoting the growth of good bacteria in your intestines.
7–9. Other Potential Benefits
Many preliminary studies on maqui berry suggest that the fruit may offer additional benefits:

Anticancer effects: In test-tube and animal studies, the type of antioxidants found in maqui berry demonstrated potential to reduce cancer cell replication, suppress tumor growth and induce cancer cell death (23Trusted Source, 24Trusted Source).
Anti-aging effects: Excessive exposure to ultraviolet rays from the sun can cause premature aging of your skin. In test-tube studies, maqui berry extract suppressed damage to cells caused by ultraviolet rays (1Trusted Source).
Dry eye relief: A small 30-day study in 13 people with dry eyes found that 30–60 mg of a concentrated maqui berry extract each day increased tear production by roughly 50% (25, 26Trusted Source).