The maqui berry has many benefits, making it a powerful “superfruit.” These include being packed with antioxidants and possibly supporting gut health, among several other qualities.

Maqui berry (Aristotelia chilensis) is an exotic, dark-purple fruit that grows wild in South America.

It’s mainly harvested by the indigenous Mapuche people of Chile, who have medicinally used the leaves, stems, and berries for thousands of years.

Today, maqui berry is marketed as a “superfruit” due to its high antioxidant content and potential health benefits, including reduced inflammation, blood sugar management, and heart health.

Here are 10 benefits and uses of maqui berry.

Free radicals are unstable molecules that can cause cell damage, inflammation, and disease over time.

One way to prevent these effects is by eating foods rich in antioxidants, such as maqui berry. Antioxidants work by stabilizing free radicals, thus helping prevent cell damage and its adverse effects.

Studies suggest that diets high in antioxidants may reduce your risk of chronic diseases like heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and arthritis.

Maqui berries are reportedly packed with up to 4 timesTrusted Source more antioxidants than blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries. In particular, they’re rich in a group of antioxidants called anthocyanins.

Anthocyanins give the fruit its deep purple color and may be responsible for many of its purported health benefits.

In a 4-week clinical studyTrusted Source, people who took 162 mg of a maqui berry extract three times daily had significantly reduced blood measures of free radical damage, compared to the control group.

Research suggests that maqui berries have the potential to combat conditions associated with inflammation, including heart disease, arthritis, type 2 diabetes, and certain lung conditions.

In multiple test-tube studiesTrusted Source, compounds in maqui berry have demonstrated powerful anti-inflammatory effects.

Similarly, test-tube studiesTrusted Source involving the concentrated maqui berry supplement Delphinol suggest that maqui may reduce inflammation in blood vessels, making it a potential ally in preventing heart disease.

Additionally, in a 2-week clinical study, smokers who took 2 grams of maqui berry extract twice daily had significant decreases in measures of lung inflammation.

Maqui berry is rich in anthocyanins, potent antioxidants that have been linked to a healthier heart.

The Nurses Health Study in 93,600 young and middle-aged women found that diets highest in anthocyanins were associated with a 32% reduced risk of heart attacks, compared to those lowest in these antioxidants.

In another large study, diets high in anthocyanins were associated with a 12% reduced risk of high blood pressure.

Though more definitive research is needed, maqui berry extract may also help reduce heart disease risk by lowering blood levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol.

In a 3-month clinical studyTrusted Source in 31 people with prediabetes, 180 mg of the concentrated maqui berry supplement Delphinol reduced blood LDL levels by an average of 12.5%.

Maqui berry may help naturally moderate blood sugar levels.

Test-tube studiesTrusted Source have demonstrated that compounds found in maqui berry may positively affect the way your body breaks down and uses carbs for energy.

In a 3-month clinical studyTrusted Source in people with prediabetes, 180 mg of maqui berry extract once daily reduced average blood sugar levels by 5%.

Though this 5% decrease seems small, it was enough to bring participants’ blood sugar levels down to normal.

While more research is needed, these benefits may be due to maqui’s high anthocyanin content.

In a large population study, diets high in these compounds were associated with a significantly reduced risk of type 2 diabetes.

Your eyes are exposed to many sources of light every day, including the sun, fluorescent lights, computer monitors, phones, and televisions.

Excessive light exposure can cause damage to your eyes.

However, antioxidants — such as those found in maqui berry — can offer protection against light-induced damage.

A test-tube studyTrusted Source found that maqui berry extract prevented light-induced damage in eye cells, suggesting that the fruit may be beneficial for eye health.

However, maqui berry extracts are much more concentrated in beneficial antioxidants than the fruit itself. More research is needed to determine if eating the fruit has similar effects.

Your intestines house trillions of bacteria, viruses, and fungi — collectively known as your gut microbiome.

Though this may sound alarming, a diverse gut microbiome can positively influence your immune system, brain, heart, and gut.

However, issues can arise when harmful bacteria outweigh beneficial ones.

Interestingly, studiesTrusted Source suggest that plant compounds in maqui and other berries may help reshape your gut microbiota, increasing the number of good bacteria.

These beneficial bacteria metabolize the plant compounds, using them to grow and multiply.

Many preliminary studies on maqui berry suggest that the fruit may offer additional benefits:

  • Anticancer effects: In several studies, the type of antioxidants found in maqui berry demonstrated potential to reduce cancer cell replication, suppress tumor growth, and induce cancer cell death.
  • Anti-aging effects: Excessive exposure to ultraviolet rays from the sun can cause premature aging of your skin. In test-tube studiesTrusted Source, maqui berry extract suppressed cell damage caused by ultraviolet rays.
  • Dry eye relief: A small 30-day studyTrusted Source in 13 people with dry eyes found that 30–60 mg of a concentrated maqui berry extract each day increased tear production by roughly 50%.

Since preliminary studies have shown promising results, it’s likely that more research will be done on this superfruit in the future.

Fresh maqui berries are easy to come by if you live in or visit South America, where they grow abundantly in the wild.

Otherwise, you can find juices and powders made from maqui berry online or at your local health food store.

Maqui berry powders are a great option since most are made from freeze-dried maqui. Science suggestsTrusted Source that this is the most effective drying method, as it retains most of the potent antioxidants.

What’s more, maqui berry powder is an easy and delicious addition to fruit smoothies, oatmeal, and yogurt. You can also find countless tasty recipes online — from maqui berry lemonade to maqui berry cheesecake and other baked goods.

Maqui berry has been deemed a superfruit due to its high content of potent antioxidants.

It demonstrates many potential benefits, including improved inflammation, “bad” LDL cholesterol levels, and blood sugar regulation.

Some research suggests that it may also have anti-aging effects and promote gut and eye health.

Though fresh maqui berries are difficult to get, maqui berry powder is easily accessible and a healthy addition to smoothies, yogurt, oatmeal, desserts, and more.