Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States, according to the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Experts have long recommended healthy eating habits to help keep blood pressure, cholesterol and sugar at normal levels and reduce risk, but a new study suggests a daily handful of blueberries in particular might help, too.
The new research, published last month in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found consuming one cup of blueberries per day led to a 12-15% reduction in cardiovascular disease risk.
"Previous studies have indicated that people who regularly eat blueberries have a reduced risk of developing conditions including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease," senior author Aedin Cassidy told Sci-news.com. "This may be because blueberries are high in naturally occurring compounds called anthocyanins, which are the flavonoids responsible for the red and blue color in fruits."
For the study, Cassidy, a professor at the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom, and his colleagues examined the metabolic effects of anthocyanin-rich blueberries in 138 at-risk overweight and obese individuals aged between 50-75.
They specifically looked at the benefits of consuming 150 grams (one cup) of blueberries daily compared to half a cup, or 75 grams.
“We found that eating one cup of blueberries per day resulted in sustained improvements in vascular function and arterial stiffness — making enough of a difference to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by between 12 and 15%,” co-author Peter Curtis, also from the University of East Anglia, added.
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Consuming half a cup of blueberries daily, on the other hand, led to no significant benefit, suggesting “higher daily intakes may be needed for heart health benefits in obese, at-risk populations, compared with the general population,” authors wrote.
Researchers pointed out multiple limitations of the study, including a predominantly white and male study population, “reducing our ability to establish whether these data translate to other ethnicities and if gender disparities exist,” they noted.
But the findings are still believed to be the first longer-term evidence of relevant improvements due to blueberry intake. In the end, researchers believe “the simple and attainable message to consume 1 cup of blueberries daily should be given to those aiming to improve their CV health.”
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