Role of Berries and Its Bioactive Compounds in Treating Hypertension: A Review

Study Objective: Hypertension or raised blood pressure leads to the occurrence of morbidity and mortality rate among peoples and it was considered as the primary factor for the occurrence of various cardiac and vascular disorders include ischemic cardiac disease, myocardial necrosis, cardiac failure, renal disorder, atherosclerosis, and cerebrovascular accident. Called “silent killer” because hypertension is an asymptomatic disease in the early stages with no indications on suffered patients and leads to act as a significant factor for the occurrence of severe other cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). As berries show considerable interest in improving cardiovascular diseases because they are rich in polyphenol contents and bioactive compounds. Besides their single usage, a polyherbal combination is much better for the treatment of hypertension.

Methods: The data were collected by reviewing a combination of research and review papers from different databases such as PubMed, Medline, ScienceDirect, and Web of science using search keywords such as “hypertension,” “cardiovascular disease,” “berries,” “cranberry,” and “red raspberry” with all their synonyms and related terms.

Results: Various studies shown better associations between higher berry flavonoids and other polyphenolic components and lower the risk of cardiovascular disorders. Based on various scientific evidence, the characteristic of various biochemical processes is treated by berries with its antioxidant, antihypertensive, and anti-sclerotic and other properties.

Conclusion: This paper concludes that in the present day, there is a global increase in berry consumption, which is used in the ailment of various cardiovascular diseases. The studies which are held are needed to define their optimal dose, process, or method of preparation (formulation) and the duration of berry intervention so that these showed better treatment options for hypertension. The literature strongly indicates that the herbs/plants show better efficacy as compared to allopathy and any other medication system.