January 14, 2012
Berries can be part of a heart-healthy diet
Eating lots of blueberries and strawberries may reduce a
woman’s risk of a heart attack, according to new research.
Scientists in the UK and America studied the
diet of more than 93,000 women aged 25 to 42 and found women who
ate three or more portions of blueberries and
strawberries per week had a 32 per cent reduction in the risk of
a heart attack compared to women who ate
berries once a month or less.
Blueberries and strawberries contain high
levels of the naturally occurring compounds called dietary
flavonoids.
This is yet another good reason to make sure we get our five-a-day
Victoria Taylor, our
Senior Dietitian, said: “This study found an association between a
diet rich in red and purple fruits -
blueberries,
blackberries and
strawberries - and a reduction in heart
attack risk for young and middle aged women.
“However, more research is
needed to understand why this link between berries and
better heart health exists. We would need to know more before we
make specific recommendations about individual fruit and vegetables
in relation to heart disease.
“But in the meantime, this is yet another good
reason to make sure we get our five-a-day and
enjoy the wide variety of fruit and vegetables available to
us.”
The research was published in American Heart
Association Journal, Circulation.