Skip to content

Anthocyanins

What are anthocyanins?

Anthocyanins are a group of water-soluble pigments found in most types of plants. They are responsible for the vibrant blue, purple and red colors of many fruits, vegetables and flowers. Anthocyanins have strong antioxidant properties, which is why foods containing these pigments are touted as healthy. Many so-called "superfoods" carry this label due to their high anthocyanin levels.

Where do anthocyanins come from?

These molecules belong to a large family of plant chemicals known as flavonoids, which include a whole range of well-known compounds such as caffeine and epigallocatechin gallate - the primary functional ingredient in green tea. These molecules are known as secondary metabolites. They are not essential for plant growth, but the majority of them have useful functions.

To date, over 500 types of anthocyanins have been characterized and are found throughout plants including roots, stems and leaves but are generally found in their highest concentration in the flowers and fruits. Anthocyanins provide the plant with a number of benefits including protection from UV damage, attracting pollen-carrying insects and protection from pathogens.

Anthocyanins are most likely to be found in foods with bright colors such as berries, the skin of fruits such as grapes and plums, red wine and pigmented varieties of common foods such as black rice, black soybeans and purple corn.

Benefits of anthocyanins

The numerous benefits of consuming anthocyanins are usually attributed to the powerful antioxidant properties of these pigments. These benefits include anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic effects and play a role in the prevention of cardiovascular disease, the prevention of obesity and the alleviation of diabetes symptoms (1).

Benefits of anthocyanins for bodybuilders

Good health is the cornerstone of athletic success and good muscle development, and the numerous health benefits of anthocyanins are just as relevant for bodybuilders and figure athletes as they are for anyone else. Due to the demands that bodybuilders and figure athletes place on their bodies, these athletes need more vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. As the muscles work much harder, a greater amount of reactive oxygen species, also known as free radicals, are produced during training.

Free radicals are unstable and steal electrons from proteins, DNA and lipids to achieve a stable form, resulting in cell damage. Cell damage caused by free radicals is not only associated with disease and the progression of aging, but is also linked to inflammation and muscle damage. There is research showing that increasing anitioxidant consumption in athletes leads to a reduction in oxidative stress markers (2). As a powerful and readily available source of antioxidants, foods rich in anthocyanins and supplements containing anthocyanins play an important role in the dietary program of many active people.

Anthocyanins side effects and disadvantages

Anthocyanins are a very safe, natural source of antioxidants and consuming reasonable amounts of foods rich in anthocyanins is highly unlikely to have any adverse effects. Anthocyanins are found in larger quantities in fruit and vegetables, so the opposite is very likely to be true. One potential pitfall is that some people believe that the benefits of anthocyanins are overstated. Anthocyanins have shown powerful antioxidant effects in vitro, but other research has shown that they have significantly lower bioavailability than other flavonoids (3). In addition to poor absorption, some anthocyanins are believed to be unstable in the body (4). At first glance, this appears to be a disadvantage, but as more studies are conducted, scientists are beginning to realize that the relationship between antioxidant consumption and free radical damage is not as straightforward as first believed. The general consensus used to be that anthocyanin molecules exert their effects directly on free radicals, but there is increasing evidence that anthocyanins and other flavonoids reduce free radical damage indirectly by promoting the expression of genes involved in mitigating the effects of oxidative stress (5). Although oxidative stress has been linked to ageing and disease, some experts believe that the use of antioxidants may prevent the body from adapting to the effects of exercise (6). However, this theory has not yet been tested on a large scale in humans.

Anthocyanins recommended intake and timing of intake

There are no recommended or standard doses for anthocyanins. The best and healthiest way to ensure that you are getting adequate amounts of antioxidants in your diet is to include plenty of fruit and vegetables in your diet.

Anthocyanin supplements

For some people, it can be a struggle to get their 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day. Finding the time to cook healthy meals, the sometimes quite high prices of foods such as berries rich in anthocyanins and an aversion to certain fruits and vegetables can be significant barriers to a diet rich in antioxidants. The good news is that there are a whole range of superfood supplements on the market that contain a large portion of anthocyanins in combination with a variety of essential vitamins and minerals.

Combinations of anthocyanins with other supplements

Recent research has found that the effects of antioxidants are maximized in the presence of other antioxidants, so it makes sense to combine anthocyanins with other antioxidants and flavonoids such as vitamin C, vitamin E and green tea.

References

  1. He J, Giusti MM. Anthocyanins: natural colorants with health-promoting properties. Annu Rev Food Sci Technol. 2010;1:163-87.
  2. Clarkson PM, Thompson HS. Antioxidants: what role do they play in physical activity and health? Am J Clin Nutr. 2000 Aug;72(2 Suppl):637S-46S.
  3. Yang M, Koo SI, Song WO, Chun OK. Food matrix affecting anthocyanin bioavailability: review. Curr Med Chem. 2011;18(2):291-300.
  4. Hribar U, Ulrih NP. The metabolism of anthocyanins. Curr Drug Metab. 2014 Jan;15(1):3-13.
  5. Williams RJ, Spencer PE, Rice-Evans C. Flavonoids: antioxidants or signaling molecules? Volume 36, Issue 7, April 1, 2004, Pages 838-849
  6. Michael Ristow, Kim Zarse. How increased oxidative stress promotes longevity and metabolic health: The concept of mitochondrial hormesis