Women who ate at least three servings of blueberries and strawberries per week had fewer heart attacks. These berries contain high levels of compounds that have cardiovascular benefits.
Eating three or more servings of blueberries and strawberries per week may help women reduce their risk of a heart attack by as much as one-third, researchers reported in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
These fruits contain high levels of naturally occurring compounds called dietary flavonoids, also found in grapes and wine, blackberries, eggplant and other fruits and vegetables. A sub-class of flavonoids, called anthocyanins, may help dilate arteries and counter the buildup of plaque, according to the study.
“Blueberries and strawberries can easily be incorporated into what women eat every week,” said Eric Rimm, senior author of the article and associate professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston. “This simple dietary change could have a significant impact on prevention efforts.”
Blueberries and strawberries were part of this analysis because they are the most-eaten berries in the United States. Other foods might produce the same results, researchers said.
Scientists from the Harvard School of Public Health in the United States and the University of East Anglia, United Kingdom, conducted a prospective study among 93,600 women ages 25 to 42 who were registered with the Nurses’ Health Study II. The women completed questionnaires about their diet every four years for nearly two decades.
During the study, 405 heart attacks occurred. Women who ate the most blueberries and strawberries had a 32 percent reduction in their risk of 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…
Read More: sciencedaily.com
