Anthocyanins and Mood: An Underappreciated Relationship
By Julie Weston, Haskapa Lead Nutritionist
Background
Pronounced an-tho-sigh-an-ins (from the Greek anthos, meaning flower, and kyanos, meaning dark blue), anthocyanins are naturally occurring plant pigments responsible for the deep purple, blue, and red hues in many of the foods we recognise as nutritional powerhouses, including red cabbage, blueberries, blackberries, blackcurrants, and haskap berries.
These richly coloured fruits are among our most concentrated dietary sources of polyphenols - plant chemicals that not only protect the plant itself but deliver substantive biological activity in the human body. Within the broader polyphenol family, berries stand out for their exceptional flavonoid content, particularly anthocyanins and flavanols - considered some of the most bioactive plant nutrients we know of. Their potential influence on mood is a rapidly growing area of scientific inquiry.
There is converging evidence that mood disorders and subclinical depressive symptoms are associated with inflammatory and oxidative stress pathways, as well as vascular dysfunction. Berry-derived polyphenols appear capable of influencing each of these systems through both direct signalling effects and indirect actions mediated by gut microbial metabolism.
This indirect pathway deserves particular attention. While polyphenols have long been valued for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, more recent work reveals that many function as effective prebiotics. Anthocyanins travel largely intact to the colon, where they interact with resident gut bacteria to generate bioactive metabolites - including phenolic acids - that may influence neurological and psychological function via the gut–brain axis. What we eat may shape how we feel through a route far more intricate than direct absorption alone.
Logan and Jacka [1] captured this well, noting that "key physiological targets in mood disorders that can be impacted by nutrition include oxidative stress regulation, neuroinflammation, neurotransmission, synaptic plasticity, and the gut–microbiome–brain axis." Within nutritional psychiatry, berries have attracted considerable attention because they engage so many of these systems simultaneously. It is important to note, however, that the clinical research base still has significant gaps - particularly regarding populations with confirmed psychiatric diagnoses. The studies reviewed here provide meaningful signals, but there is a need for more rigorous, targeted investigation.
What the Clinical Evidence Shows
Randomised Controlled Trials
Adolescents: Four Weeks of Wild Blueberry Supplementation
One of the more striking findings in this area comes from a small placebo-controlled trial in healthy adolescents aged 12–17. Participants received daily wild blueberry supplementation providing approximately 253 mg of anthocyanins over four weeks. The results showed significantly fewer self-reported depressive symptoms in the supplemented group compared to placebo [2].
Emerging Adults with Moderate-to-Severe Depressive Symptoms
A more recent controlled study extended this work to emerging adults already experiencing moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms. Participants received either acute or chronic wild blueberry supplementation, and outcomes included mood, executive function, and biomarkers related to neuroplasticity, inflammation, and oxidative stress [3].
The findings were nuanced but intriguing. A single dose of blueberry beverage produced significant improvements in positive affect and executive function at two hours post-ingestion, though longer-term benefits were not sustained at the six-week mark.
Adults with Diagnosed Depression and Anxiety
A crossover study examined the effects of 12 weeks of daily freeze-dried blueberry powder (24 g) versus placebo in adults diagnosed with depressive or anxiety disorders, including major depressive disorder (MDD) and generalised anxiety disorder (GAD). Potential improvements were noted in both depression and anxiety symptom scores [4].
Across these trials, the picture is one of genuine possibility - particularly in younger populations and those with elevated symptoms - though heterogeneity in design and outcome measures means the findings must be held with appropriate care.
Beyond Blueberries: High-Anthocyanin Alternatives
Blueberries have dominated the clinical literature, but they are far from the only high-anthocyanin berry of interest. Blackcurrant extracts and juice have demonstrated small-to-moderate improvements in mental fatigue, alertness, and mood subscales during cognitively demanding tasks [5,6]. Blackcurrant juice extract was shown to directly increase cerebral blood flow during cognitive demand, offering a plausible explanation for these effects [7].
Haskap berries (Lonicera caerulea) are also worth serious attention. Among commercially available berry sources, haskap consistently ranks among the highest in anthocyanin concentration, with some analyses reporting levels that rival or exceed both blueberry and blackcurrant. A pilot dose-response RCT (Bell & Williams, 2019) found that acute haskap berry extract supplementation produced significant improvements in episodic memory and reductions in blood pressure in older adults, with mood results more equivocal and further trials currently underway. The compound profile, concentration, and emerging clinical data make haskap berry powder a well-positioned option for practitioners looking to incorporate high-anthocyanin sources into clinical recommendations [8].
Observational Evidence
Cross-sectional analyses have found that higher habitual dietary anthocyanin intake is associated with lower levels of depressive symptomatology [9].
How Might This Work? Mechanistic Pathways
1. Vascular and Cerebral Blood Flow Effects
Anthocyanins appear to support endothelial function and vascular tone, which may increase cerebral blood flow, particularly during periods of cognitive demand. This pathway is thought to underlie the acute improvements in alertness and mood state observed in several trials. Anthocyanin-rich interventions have also been shown to reduce blood pressure in older adults — including in the haskap berry RCT noted above — reinforcing their role in modulating vascular function more broadly [8].
2. Inflammation and Oxidative Stress
Mood disorders are increasingly understood as involving dysregulation of inflammatory and oxidative stress pathways. Several anthocyanin intervention trials have co-measured relevant biomarkers and found directional improvements [10].
3. Gut Microbiome and the Gut–Brain Axis
Anthocyanins reach the colon in substantial quantities, where they are metabolised by resident bacteria into bioactive phenolic acids and other compounds that may act systemically - including via the vagus nerve and through modulation of neurotransmitter precursors [11,14].
Systematic Reviews
Two substantial systematic reviews are particularly worth noting. Colombage et al. [12] reviewed human experimental studies on dietary flavonoids and mood in healthy populations, with anthocyanins forming a key subset. Ali et al. [13] synthesised intervention and observational data on flavonoids and depressive symptoms across subclasses. Both reach a cautiously positive field-level conclusion, with anthocyanin-rich berry sources consistently highlighted.
Limitations Worth Understanding
Most trials use whole berries rather than isolated anthocyanins, making it difficult to attribute effects to any single compound. ‘Mood’ is not a monolithic outcome, and bioavailability varies considerably depending on food matrix, processing method, and individual microbiome composition.
Summary: What This Means for Practice
- Anthocyanin-rich berry interventions have produced measurable improvements in mood outcomes across multiple controlled trials.
- Acute effects on cerebral blood flow, alertness, and positive affect are mechanistically plausible.
- Longer-term effects on clinical depression and anxiety are promising but require more rigorous replication in diagnosed populations.
- High-anthocyanin sources - including blueberries, blackcurrants, and haskap berries - are safe, well-tolerated, and nutritionally rich [15] in their own right, making them sensible inclusions in a mood-supportive nutritional approach even ahead of definitive clinical guidance.
For health practitioners, this emerging body of evidence invites both informed clinical curiosity and practical action. It supports the broader nutritional psychiatry framework and positions dietary anthocyanins — whether from whole food or concentrated powder form — as a valuable and evidence-informed addition to clinical practice.
References
- Logan AC, Jacka FN. Nutritional psychiatry research: an emerging discipline and its intersection with global urbanization, environmental challenges and the evolutionary mismatch. J Physiol Anthropol. 2014.
- Fisk J, et al. Effect of 4 weeks daily wild blueberry supplementation on mood in adolescents. PubMed. 2020.
- Velichkov M, et al. Acute and chronic wild blueberry supplementation on mood, executive function and biomarkers in emerging adults with depressive symptoms. Springer. 2024.
- Venable KE, et al. Effects of blueberry supplementation on depression and anxiety symptoms. MDPI. 2025.
- Watson AW, et al. Acute supplementation with blackcurrant extracts: mood and cognition (DB-RCT crossover). ScienceDirect. 2015.
- Watson AW, et al. Impact of blackcurrant juice on attention, mood and cognition. PubMed. 2019.
- Watson AW, et al. Blackcurrant juice extract increases cerebral blood flow during cognitive demand. Taylor & Francis Online. 2025.
- Lynne B and Williams CM A pilot dose–response study of the acute effects of haskap berry extract (Lonicera caerulea L.) on cognition, mood, and blood pressure in older adults. European Jounral of Nutrition. 2019
- Mestrom A, et al. Higher anthocyanin intake associated with lower depressive symptomatology. PMC. 2023/2024.
- Fernández-Demeneghi R, et al. Positioning berries in nutritional psychiatry. Frontiers. 2025.
- Ali S, et al. Systematic review: dietary flavonoids and symptoms of depression. MDPI. 2021.
- Colombage RL, et al. Effects of dietary flavonoids on mood and mental health: systematic review of human experimental studies. OUP Academic. 2025.
- Ali S, et al. Systematic review: dietary flavonoids and symptoms of depression. MDPI. 2021.
- Dingeo G, Brito A, Samouda H, Iddir M, La Frano MR, Bohn T. Phytochemicals as modifiers of gut microbial communities. Food Funct. 2020
- Fernández-Demeneghi R, et al. Positioning berries in nutritional psychiatry. Frontiers. 2025.
- Rupasinghe HPV, Arumuggam N, Amararathna M, De Silva ABKH. The potential health benefits of haskap (Lonicera caerulea L.): Role of cyanidin‑3‑O‑glucoside. J Funct Foods. 2018
Originally produced for the Natural Dispensary, April Education Newsletter.