publication date: Jan 16, 2013
Strawberries and
blueberries contain high levels of powerful bioactive compounds called
anthocyanins, which are a sub-group of
dietary flavonoids.
Research just published in
Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association shows that these
anthocyanins may help
dilate arteries, counter the build-up of plaque and provide other
cardiovascular benefits.
Scientists from
UEA’s Norwich Medical School and
Harvard School of Public Health (US) studied 93,600 women aged between 25 and 42 who were registered with the
Nurses’ Health Study II. The women completed
questionnaires about their
diet every four years for
18 years.
During the study,
405 heart attacks occurred. Women who ate the most
blueberries and strawberries had a
32 per cent reduction in their risk of having a
heart attack compared to women who ate the berries
once a month or less – even in women who otherwise ate a
diet rich in other
fruits and vegetables.
The study was lead by
Prof Aedín Cassidy – head of the
Department of Nutrition at UEA. She said: “We have shown that even at an
early age, eating more of these
fruits may
reduce risk of a h
eart attack later in life. This is the
first study to look at the impact of diet in
younger and
middle-aged women.
“
Blueberries and strawberries contain high levels of compounds that have
cardiovascular benefits, and our study shows that women who ate at least
three servings per week had fewer
heart attacks.
“The findings were independent of
other risk factors, such as age,
high blood pressure, family history of heart attack, body mass,
exercise, smoking, caffeine or alcohol intake.
“
Blueberries and strawberries were part of this analysis because they are the
most-eaten berries in the United States. It is possible that
other fruit and vegetables could produce the
same results.”
Senior author and associate professor of nutrition and epidemiology at Harvard,
Eric Rimm, added: “
Blueberries and strawberries can easily be incorporated into what women eat every week. This
simple dietary change could have a
significant impact on prevention efforts.”
Until more information about
specific dietary constituents like
flavonoids is available and fully understood, the
American Heart Association recommends eating a
balanced diet containing a wide variety of
fruits, vegetables and whole-grain products. Eating a
variety of foods is the best way to get the right amounts of nutrients.
The study was funded by the
National Institutes of Health and the
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.
