Caio Cesar Ruy, Tanila Wood dos Santos, Quélita Cristina Pereira, Marcelo Lima Ribeiro
Obesity has reached alarming proportions worldwide, becoming one of the most prevalent and critical public health challenges of the 21st century. Currently, there is great interest in studying the treatment of obesity with food-derived bioactive compounds, which have low toxicity and no serious adverse events compared to pharmacotherapeutic agents. Here, we review the benefits of anthocyanin-rich foods in preventing obesity, including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, and in regulating the gut microbiota in preclinical models and human clinical trials. Evidence suggests that dietary anthocyanins may have anti-obesity effects and reduce the risk of chronic noncommunicable diseases by regulating gut health.