Blueberry intake for four weeks decreased levels of a biomarker for oxidative DNA damage in postmenopausal women with pre and early stage hypertension.
In the experiment, a randomized, parallel-arm, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was carried out with 40 postmenopausal women, aged 45 to 65 years, who were either pre or at stage 1 of hypertension. The participants were randomly divided into two, where one group ingested 22 g of freeze-dried highbush blueberry powder every day and the other a placebo. The biomarkers for oxidative DNA damage, oxidative stress, inflammation, and antioxidant defense were evaluated at the commencement, in the middle, and at the end of the eight week period.
The levels of the biomarker for oxidative DNA damage, 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), were found to drop significantly in the group consuming blueberries at the end of the fourth week when compared to the placebo group. However, the levels didn't show a significant difference between the groups at the end of the eighth week. No noteworthy changes were observed in the other measured biomarkers as a result of blueberry consumption.
