Black Currant
EVIDENCE: WEAKAlso sold as: Ribes nigrum, blackcurrant, black currant extract, blackcurrant seed oil
Black currant contains anthocyanins, plant pigments studied for visual fatigue, immune measures, and exercise recovery. Human trials are small and early, so potential benefits remain uncertain.
Compiled by iSupplementReviews editorial team ·Updated 2026-10-06 · 4 sources
- Type
- Botanical fruit
- Studied dose
- ~300–600 mg extract or ~100–170 mg anthocyanins/day (small trials)
- Best form
- fruit extract standardized for anthocyanins; seed oil is a different product (GLA source)
- Our rating
- WEAK — Mostly small, animal, or traditional evidence
What is black currant?
Black currant (Ribes nigrum) is a European and Asian berry containing anthocyanins and vitamin C, about 181 mg per 100 g of fruit. Fruit extracts concentrate pigment compounds; seed oils provide GLA, a different ingredient with different research.
The forms that matter
| Form | What it is | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fruit extract, anthocyanin-standardized | The polyphenol product | The studied form — stated anthocyanin % is the quality marker |
| Blackcurrant seed oil | GLA (omega-6) source | Different chemistry, different claims — evening-primrose class |
| Juice/whole powder | Food form | Variable anthocyanins |
Where does it come from?
Northern Europe and Asia: famously banned in early-1900s America for hosting white-pine blister rust, which is why Americans know it less than Europeans and Japanese do. New Zealand cultivars supply much of the sports-research material.
How does black currant work in the body?
Anthocyanins (cyanidin and delphinidin glycosides) act as antioxidants and appear to improve microcirculation and blood-flow dynamics: the proposed mechanism behind both the visual-fatigue findings (better ocular blood flow, faster dark adaptation) and the exercise-recovery data. The vitamin-C load adds general antioxidant support.
What is black currant claimed to do?
Eye/visual fatigue relief (especially screen-related), immune support and cold prevention, exercise recovery, antioxidant protection, and, in seed-oil form, skin and inflammatory support.
What does the research show?
| Claim | Evidence | Dose studied | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visual fatigue / ocular blood flow | Small Japanese trials + 2-yr glaucoma observation (Ohguro) | ~100–170 mg anthocyanins | Early positive |
| Exercise recovery/performance | NZ powder trials (Willems et al.) | ~200–600 mg powder | Early positive |
| Immune/URI symptoms | Small trials (Knox) | fruit extract | Weak-positive |
| Antioxidant status | Compositional + biomarkers | — | Plausible |
| GLA effects (seed oil) | Small GLA literature | — | Weak |
Vision — the most distinctive claim
Small Japanese trials showed anthocyanin supplementation improved dark adaptation and screen-fatigue measures; Ohguro et al. followed glaucoma patients on black currant anthocyanins for two years and reported improved ocular blood flow and visual-field stabilization. Encouraging, observational, and early.
Exercise — the NZ sports line
Willems and colleagues ran a series of small trials on New Zealand blackcurrant powder showing modest improvements in exercise recovery and some performance measures: a small but coherent research program.
What doesn’t black currant do?
Nothing proven at scale; no landmark trials, no hard outcome data. It’s a polyphenol source with promising small-study results, not a demonstrated therapeutic.
What dose was studied?
Roughly 100–170 mg of anthocyanins (vision trials) or ~300–600 mg powder/extract (sports studies). Anthocyanin content is the number that counts, not fruit mass.
Side effects
Being a food fruit does not establish that concentrated extracts have no side effects. Seed oil carries a theoretical interaction concern with blood thinners; fruit extract and seed oil should not be treated as interchangeable.
Drug interactions
Minimal for the fruit; theoretical blood-thinner additive for seed oil.
Who should not take black currant?
People taking blood thinners should discuss seed-oil products with their clinician. Check whether the label identifies fruit extract or seed oil, because their composition and the evidence discussed here differ.
What the authorities say
No dedicated monographs; the review rests on compositional data (USDA) and the small-trial literature. Institutions haven’t weighed in because there isn’t enough there to weigh.
What to know about black currant
Black-currant research is early and based mainly on small trials. Fruit extract and seed oil should be assessed separately. Nutrient and pigment content alone do not establish a clinical benefit.
Frequently asked questions about Black Currant
What is black currant extract good for?
Its research clusters in three areas: visual fatigue/eye health (small Japanese trials on anthocyanins and dark adaptation; a 24-month glaucoma-observation study on ocular blood flow), immune/upper-respiratory support (small trials on reduced infection symptoms), and exercise recovery (New Zealand blackcurrant-powder studies on muscle soreness). All early-stage, small-trial evidence.
Is black currant the same as blackcurrant seed oil?
No, different fractions. Fruit extract is an anthocyanin product (the purple pigments). Seed oil is a gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) source, an omega-6 used for skin/inflammation, closer to evening primrose oil in concept. Labels should specify which.
Why is black currant in supplements?
Anthocyanins: purple pigments with antioxidant and microcirculation effects. It's one of the richest common-fruit sources, which makes it a legitimate polyphenol ingredient even where specific outcome evidence is thin.
Is black currant safe?
Black currant fruit is a food, but that does not establish the safety of every concentrated supplement. Fruit extract and seed oil are different products. If you take blood thinners, discuss seed-oil products with your clinician; the interaction concern described here is theoretical.
Why is black currant less known in the US?
A quirk of history: it was banned in early-1900s America for hosting white-pine blister rust, so Americans never developed the taste. Europe and Japan did, which is why most of the research is Japanese and New Zealand work.
References
- [1]Ohguro H et al. — Black currant anthocyanins and ocular blood flow/visual function in glaucoma (2-year observation)
- [2]Willems ME et al. — Blackcurrant powder and exercise performance/recovery studies
- [3]Wu D, Meydani SN et al. — Black currant seed oil and immune response in healthy elderly (Am J Clin Nutr, 1999) — the small human trial
- [4]USDA FoodData Central — Black currant nutrient composition (vitamin C ~181 mg/100 g)
Products we reviewed containing Black Currant
Based on recorded labels or seller-described formulas. Inclusion does not establish a match to the strains, preparations or amounts studied here; check each review's disclosure limits.