New Study Suggests Replacing Common Fruits in USDA’s Dietary Patterns with Berries May Reduce Cardiovascular Disease Risk

FOLSOM, Calif. – A new modeling study published in Annals of Medicine shows that substituting a commonly consumed fruit such as apples, bananas or grapes with a serving of berries in the Healthy U.S.-Style (HUS), Healthy Mediterranean-Style (HMS) and Healthy Vegetarian (HV) United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) dietary patterns increased beneficial dietary nutrients with minimal change in calories, macronutrients, fatty acids and cholesterol. These nutrients, specifically anthocyanins, vitamin C and fiber, may help reduce cardiovascular disease risk.^1,2

The current Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) distinguishes vegetable subgroups with specific intake recommendations by color designations (e.g., dark green, orange, red and yellow) and type (e.g., starchy vegetables, beans, peas and lentils) due to their difference in nutrients, but does not segment the fruit category.³ However, the nutritional profiles of fruits similarly vary based on their color and type. Berries (including blackberries, blueberries, raspberries and strawberries) are uniquely high in the flavonoid anthocyanin and contain vitamin C and fiber – all nutrients that may benefit cardiovascular health.^i,ii

Using the USDA’s food pattern modeling methodology, researchers developed three 7-day menus at the 2,000-calorie level for the HUS, HMS and HV dietary patterns. In these models, one of two daily fruit servings (1 cup equivalent) of commonly consumed fruits (apples, bananas or grapes) was replaced with a serving of mixed berries (blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and strawberries).

The results indicate that swapping one of two servings of common fruit per day to berries led to a 93.8% increase in anthocyanins across all three USDA dietary patterns with minimal changes in calories and macronutrient composition. Dietary fiber increased by up to 5.1%, soluble fiber by up to 10.2% and vitamin C by up to 16%, depending on the dietary pattern. Vitamin E and vitamin K also increased modestly. Total sugar and carbohydrate levels decreased slightly. Weekly food costs rose by approximately 10% across the three USDA Dietary Patterns but remained within USDA moderate-cost food plan ranges.

The results of this study reinforce the notion that various fruits possess distinct nutrient profiles, each potentially contributing uniquely to health outcomes. Recently published research including over 120,000 participants found that people who consumed the widest diversity of dietary flavonoids had a lower risk of all-cause mortality and incidence of chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, respiratory disease and neurodegenerative disease.⁴ Furthermore, the researchers note that despite the health benefits associated with consuming a variety of fruits, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data shows that less than half of adults report consuming fruit on any given day and most only ate one fruit, with bananas most consumed, followed by apples and grapes.⁵ “Our findings suggest that emphasizing the diversity of fruit subgroups, much like we do for vegetables, could help Americans make diverse and nutrient-rich fruit choices,” said lead author Dr. Kim Stote.

The study indicates that substituting berries for a common fruit daily leads to favorable changes in nutrients and dietary components that may increase individuals’ protection against cardiovascular disease. ^i,ii However, further research is warranted to validate that the food pattern modeling results accurately represent individual food intake.

For more information on blueberry nutrition research visit healthprofessionals.blueberry.org/research/

¹Kocabas S, Sanlier N. The power of berries against cardiovascular diseases. Nutr Rev. Jun 10 2024;82(7):963-977. doi:10.1093/nutrit/nuad111

²Xu L, Tian Z, Chen H, Zhao Y, Yang Y. Anthocyanins, Anthocyanin-Rich Berries, and Cardiovascular Risks: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of 44 Randomized Controlled Trials and 15 Prospective Cohort Studies. Front Nutr. 2021;8:747884.

³U.S. Department of Agriculture; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020–2025. 9th ed. December 2020.

⁴Parameter, BH, Thompson AS, Bondonno, NP, Jennings A, Murray, K, Perez-Cornago, A, Hodgson, JM, Tresserra-Rimabu, A, Kuhn, T, Cassidy A. High diversity of dietary flavonoid intake is associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality and major chronic diseases. Nature Food. Apr 15 2025; doi:10.1038/s43016-025-01176-1 

⁵Hoy MK, Clemens JC, Moshfegh AJ. Intake of Fruit by Adults: What We Eat in America, NHANES 2017-2018. FSRG Dietary Data Briefs. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA); 2021.