Know2eat

Black currants

Ribes nigrum

What black currants has been studied for

3 associations assessed — 2 with at least some human evidence behind them. Strongest first.

  • 2 Limited
  • 1 Insufficient
3 things to know first — allergies, interactions and intake limits

About black currants

Small, very dark berries from a European Ribes shrub, more tart and more heavily pigmented than most soft fruit. Widely grown in northern Europe and New Zealand, mostly for juice, cordial and extract.

Also known as Blackcurrant, European black currant, Cassis

CirculationMuscle & Physical PerformanceEye Health

The evidence in depth

Best supported: Limited

What each association actually rests on, and the papers behind it. A rating describes the state of the research, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.

Blood flow

Circulation
Limited evidence

Some trials report increased peripheral blood flow and lower vascular resistance in the hours after a blackcurrant extract dose. The measurements are short-term and the relevance of a few hours of altered blood flow to anything lasting is untested.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

4 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Exercise performance

Muscle & Physical Performance
Limited evidence

Evidence is limited. A cluster of small trials, mostly using a single standardised New Zealand blackcurrant extract, report improved time-trial performance and fat oxidation during exercise. Sample sizes are in the tens, several share the same research group, and the extract is not the same as eating berries.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

2 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Visual function

Eye Health
Insufficient evidence

Blackcurrant anthocyanins are marketed heavily for eyesight, particularly for night vision and eye strain. The few human trials are small, industry-linked and inconsistent, and there is no dependable finding to report.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

3 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Ask about Black currants

Ask about Black currants

Answers are written only from the entries on this page — the same nutrients, compounds, claims and citations you can read above. Nothing is added from outside the database, and every answer lists what it was built from.

AI explanations are not switched on for this site, so there is nothing to ask here. Everything above is read straight from the database and does not need them.

Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
NutrientAmount% DV
Macronutrients
Calories63 kcal3%
Protein1.4 g3%
Total fat0.41 g1%
Carbohydrate15.4 g6%
Water82 g—
Fats
Saturated fat0.034 g0%
Monounsaturated fat0.058 g—
Polyunsaturated fat0.179 g—
Cholesterol0 mg0%
Linoleic acid (omega-6)0.107 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A12 µg1%
Vitamin C181 mg201%
Vitamin E1 mg7%
Thiamin (B1)0.05 mg4%
Riboflavin (B2)0.05 mg4%
Niacin (B3)0.3 mg2%
Pantothenic acid (B5)0.398 mg8%
Vitamin B60.066 mg4%
Vitamin B120 µg0%
Minerals
Calcium55 mg4%
Iron1.54 mg9%
Magnesium24 mg6%
Phosphorus59 mg5%
Potassium322 mg7%
Sodium2 mg0%
Zinc0.27 mg2%
Copper0.086 mg10%
Manganese0.256 mg11%
Other measured compounds
Ash0.86 g—

Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

Source record: Currants, european black, raw (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 173963).

% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.

Bioactive compounds

Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

How preparation changes things

Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.

Nothing dependable is recorded about how preparation changes this food’s nutritional properties. Rather than guess, this section stays empty.

Things to know

Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.

  • Interaction

    Seed oil is a different product

    Blackcurrant seed oil is sold separately for its gamma-linolenic acid and carries its own bleeding-risk caution alongside anticoagulants. That caution belongs to the oil, not to eating the berries.

  • Too much

    Commercial cordials are heavily sweetened

    Most blackcurrant sold in the UK and Europe is squash or cordial with a high added-sugar content. The fruit in this entry and the drink made from it are not interchangeable.

  • Allergy

    Salicylate sensitivity

    Blackcurrants sit among the higher-salicylate fruits. A small number of people with diagnosed salicylate intolerance report symptoms that track with intake.