Maqui Berry: What It Is and Its Side Effects

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Last updated: October 16, 2026 · By Martin Smith · How I research

Maqui berry turns up in “superfruit” powders and weight-loss supplements, often with big promises attached. This short guide explains what it is, what the human studies found (and didn’t), its reported side effects, and who should check with a doctor first.

What is maqui berry?

Maqui (Aristotelia chilensis) is a small evergreen shrub that grows wild in the forests of central and southern Chile and in southwestern Argentina. Its fruit is a small purple-black berry, about 4 to 6 millimetres across, that people in Chile have long eaten fresh or made into jams and drinks (Drugs.com maqui monograph, updated July 2026).

The deep colour comes from anthocyanins, the same family of plant pigments found in blueberries and blackcurrants. Maqui is especially rich in one type called delphinidins. Most of the human research used a standardised extract called Delphinol, made to contain at least 25% delphinidins and 35% anthocyanins in total (Hidalgo et al., 2014). Other powders and capsules may contain much less.

What the studies in people actually show

A 2026 systematic review found only 12 human trials of maqui, published between 2014 and 2023. The authors rated the certainty of the evidence as moderate to very low, because the studies were small, short and used different products (Arce-Johnson et al., 2026). Here is what the main ones looked at.

  • Blood sugar after a meal. In a study of 10 adults with moderately raised blood sugar (glucose intolerance), taking the maqui extract before a meal of rice gave a smaller rise in blood sugar and insulin than a placebo (Hidalgo et al., 2014). A similar small study in people with prediabetes, taking maqui an hour before a glucose drink, found lower blood sugar peaks; it was an open study without a placebo (Alvarado et al., 2016).
  • Longer-term blood sugar. In 31 people with prediabetes who took 180 mg of the extract each morning for three months, the long-term blood sugar marker HbA1c fell slightly, from 5.65% to 5.35%, and LDL cholesterol dropped. Results were compared with people’s own starting values, not with a placebo group (Alvarado et al., 2016). Across all the longer studies, the review found the effects on HbA1c and cholesterol were modest and inconsistent (Arce-Johnson et al., 2026).
  • Oxidative stress. In a placebo-controlled trial of 42 adults aged 45 to 65 (healthy, overweight or smokers), blood and urine markers of oxidative damage fell after four weeks of maqui extract compared with people’s starting levels. The published summary doesn’t report a direct comparison with the placebo group. It also says that at a follow-up 40 days after people stopped taking it, no differences in these markers were seen (Davinelli et al., 2015). These are lab markers, not proof of fewer heart attacks or other real-world outcomes.
  • Dry eyes. This is where the review found the most consistent results. In a placebo-controlled study of 20 people with dry eye disease, two months of maqui extract improved tear production and symptoms (Kundu et al., 2023). An earlier pilot study in 13 people, without a placebo group, reported similar changes over 60 days (Hitoe et al., 2014).

In short: interesting early results from a handful of small studies, several using the same branded extract. They don’t show that maqui prevents or treats any disease.

Maqui berry side effects

The trials reported few problems. In the three-month prediabetes study, the authors wrote that the extract was well tolerated and no adverse effects occurred (Alvarado et al., 2016). In the dry eye pilot study, blood safety tests at each visit showed no negative findings (Hitoe et al., 2014). The Drugs.com monograph lists no documented adverse reactions and no well-documented drug interactions (Drugs.com).

That isn’t the same as “safe”. Most studies had a few dozen people or fewer and lasted between a few hours and three months, which is too small and too short to pick up uncommon or long-term side effects. The US government’s health sites (NCCIH, MedlinePlus and the Office of Dietary Supplements) don’t have a maqui page at all. So the honest answer is that there’s little safety data either way.

Who should be careful

  • If you take medicine for diabetes (for example metformin, a sulfonylurea or insulin). Maqui lowered blood sugar after meals in small studies, so in theory it could add to your medicine’s effect. No interaction has been documented, but check with your doctor and keep an eye on your readings.
  • If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding. There is no safety information for pregnancy or breastfeeding (Drugs.com), so it’s best avoided.
  • If you take a blood thinner such as warfarin. In a laboratory study, extracts of maqui leaves and unripe fruit reduced the clumping of blood platelets (Rodríguez et al., 2021). This hasn’t been shown in people, but it’s a reason to ask your doctor first.
  • If you have surgery coming up. MedlinePlus advises not taking any supplements, herbs or vitamins before surgery unless your surgeon says it’s OK (MedlinePlus).

Why maqui is in Mitolyn

Maqui berry is one of the six plant ingredients in Mitolyn, along with rhodiola, astaxanthin, amla, cacao and schisandra. The manufacturer says maqui’s anthocyanins help the body make new mitochondria, the parts of your cells that turn food into energy. That idea hasn’t been studied in people, and Mitolyn’s order page doesn’t show how much maqui is in each capsule, so I can’t compare its dose with the studies above. I go through each ingredient in my Mitolyn ingredients review, and the product as a whole in my full Mitolyn review.

Maqui berry FAQ

Is maqui the same as acai?

No. Maqui comes from a shrub that grows in Chile and Argentina. Açaí comes from a palm tree (Euterpe oleracea) found in Central and South America, especially the Brazilian Amazon (NCCIH). Both are dark purple and rich in anthocyanins, but they’re different plants and have been studied separately.

How long does it take for maqui berry to work?

There’s no established benefit to wait for, and timings depend on what was measured. The blood sugar studies measured a single meal, with the extract taken shortly beforehand (Hidalgo et al., 2014). The small changes in HbA1c showed up after two to three months (Alvarado et al., 2016). The dry eye studies ran for about two months (Kundu et al., 2023). Results vary from person to person.

Does maqui berry help you lose weight?

There’s no good evidence that it does. The human trials looked at blood sugar, cholesterol, oxidative stress and dry eyes, not weight loss (Arce-Johnson et al., 2026). One 30-day study in 30 healthy adults also measured body composition and body measurements, and found no meaningful changes (Cavezzi et al., 2023). Studies in mice fed a high-fat diet found effects on blood sugar and fat metabolism (2026 mouse study), but results in mice often don’t carry over to people.

Sources

This article is for general information only and isn’t medical advice. Speak to your doctor or pharmacist before starting any supplement, especially if you take regular medicine. See my medical disclaimer.

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