Potential health benefits of fermented blueberry: A review of current scientific evidence

Background: Fermented food has been emerging as a new value-added category for the food industry and consumers. Blueberries (Vaccinium species) are known as “superfoods” due to their nutrients and biologically active compounds (bioactives). However, most of the bioactives present in blueberries are weakly bioavailable in the human gastrointestinal tract. Scope and approach: Therefore, this review focuses on the fermentation processes of blueberry, and the impact of fermentation on the bioavailability of nutrients and bioactive enhancement leading to potential health benefits manifested by probiotics commonly used in blueberry fermentation. Key findings and conclusions: Among many benefits, fermentation can be considered an efficient method to increase the bioavailability of some bioactives. During fermentation, the physical properties and chemical profile of the blueberries changes and contributes to improved organoleptic quality, extended shelf-life, and enhanced health benefits. Moreover, when compared to fresh blueberry, the process of fermentation brings additional health benefits, mainly through the production of various microbial metabolites or postbiotics. The type of probiotics used in fermenting blueberries seems to be a critical factor in generating specific postbiotics. Recent investigations suggest that fermented blueberries have the potential to mitigate various non-communicable diseases including, but not limited to diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, cognitive impairments (neurodegenerative disorders and neuropsychiatric diseases), and obesity. Systematically-designed human intervention studies are required to validate most of the reported health benefits of fermented blueberry products.