The objective of the paper was to present the chemical and biological profile of anthocyanins – natural dyes, which occur very commonly in the plant world and have proven health benefits. Anthocyanins belong to the polyphenolic organic compounds – flavonoids. At present, there are know several hundred natural anthocyanin pigments (among other things, those isolated from red grapes, chokeberries, and blackcurrants) and more than one hundred synthetic ones. Those compounds show health benefits. Among them, the most important are their antioxidant, anti inflammatory, anti-atherosclerotic, and anti-carcinogenic activity.