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Blueberries can be good for the heart.
The researchers conducted a randomized, double-blind trial of 115 overweight and obese adults aged 50 to 75 years at high risk for cardiovascular disease. One-third of the group ate one cup of freeze-dried blueberries a day, another third a half-cup and the last third a placebo of the same appearance. The study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, lasted six months.
The diet did not affect insulin resistance or blood pressure. But compared to the half-cup and placebo-group consumers, the full-cup group had reduced arterial stiffness and high levels of HDL (the "good" cholesterol). Those who ate a lot of blueberries also had higher levels of anthocyanin, a type of antioxidant found in plant pigments, and cyclic guanosine monophosphate, a substance that relaxes smooth muscle cells and improves blood flow. blood.
The authors estimate that daily consumption of one cup of blueberries reduces the risk of cardiovascular event by 13% and 11.4 to 14.5% risk of coronary heart disease.
Lead author Aedin Cassidy, a nutrition professor at the University of East Anglia, said that in a healthier population, three cups of blueberries a week would have beneficial effects. "If everyone ate more anthocyanin-rich berries and berries," she said, "the health benefits to the population and the population would be considerable."
The study received support from the US Highbush Blueberry Council.
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