The Modulating Effects of Fruit and Fruit-Derived Interventions on Arterial Stiffness

Fruit and fruit-derived interventions, when provided to various populations of interest, have the potential to contribute to cardioprotective benefits. Of particular interest, arterial stiffness serves as an important prognostic marker for cardiovascular disease and events, so many intervention studies have focused on the ability of fruit and fruit-derived interventions to improve arterial stiffness, especially in the aorta. Therefore, the aim of the present narrative review was to examine the available evidence on the relationship between fruit-based interventions and arterial stiffness. Five electronic databases were searched using a structured search strategy through December 2025. Among the 68 identified clinical investigations, findings were heterogeneous, although some studies reported improvements in interventions derived from berries, grapes, citrus fruits, and watermelon. Current evidence does not support favorable effects following interventions derived from tart cherry, and many fruits lack sufficient evidence to determine whether improvements in arterial stiffness are possible. Given the wide variety of polyphenols and bioactive compounds available in fruit and fruit-based interventions, there is strong theoretical potential for these interventions to exert beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system. Nevertheless, further research is warranted to understand whether fruit-based interventions can produce demonstrable changes in arterial stiffness among varying populations, and when such changes are observed, to elucidate the mechanisms underlying these effects. Thus, additional randomized controlled trials, especially with sufficient durations and adequate sample sizes to detect structural changes in the vascular system, are needed.