Abstract

PurposeThe aim of this systematic review with meta-analysis was to determine whether anthocyanin-rich foods are effective to improve cardiometabolic markers in individuals with metabolic syndrome (MetS), compared with placebo or control interventions.MethodsWe searched MEDLINE, CENTRAL, Embase, LILACS, CINAHL, and Web of Science from their inception up to March 2022. We include clinical trials (randomized clinical trials, controlled clinical trials, and cross-over trials) with anthocyanin-rich foods versus placebo or control intervention that assessment cardiometabolic factors.ResultsWe found 14 clinical trials that met the eligibility criteria, and we included 10 studies for the quantitative synthesis. For anthocyanin-rich foods versus control interventions, the mean difference (MD) for low-density lipoprotein (LDL) was - 7.98 mg/dL (CI = - 15.20 to - 0.77, GRADE: Very low). For homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), the MD was 0.04 (CI = 0.08 to 0.16, GRADE: Moderate). The MD for interleukin 6 was 0.00 pg/mL (CI = - 0.01 to 0.00, GRADE: Low). For tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), the standardized mean difference (SMD) was - 0.52 pg/mL (CI = 0.85 to 0.19 GRADE: Very low) when compared with the control interventions. The certainty of the evidence for the other outcomes it is very low.ConclusionOur findings suggest that anthocyanin-rich foods could improve certain cardiometabolic markers (e.g., TC, TG, LDL, and TNF-alpha) among individuals with MetS (with very low quality evidence according to GRADE), compared with placebo or other control interventions.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42020187287.