AI Insight
Research conducted by scientists from the University of Reading, Harvard Medical School, UC Davis, and Mars, Inc. found that specific fruits and vegetables including blueberries, plums, blackberries, broad beans, cherries, and green tea are particularly beneficial for heart health due to their flavanol content. The study revealed that fewer than one in five people achieve the flavanol intake levels associated with reduced cardiovascular disease risk, even among those who consume the recommended five daily portions of fruits and vegetables. This suggests that not all fruits and vegetables provide equal heart health benefits, and flavanol-rich options should be prioritized.
Why it matters
This research highlights that simply meeting the general recommendation of five daily fruit and vegetable portions may be insufficient for optimal heart health protection. The findings could inform more targeted dietary guidelines that emphasize flavanol-rich foods to more effectively reduce cardiovascular disease risk in the population.
Including blueberries, plums, blackberries, broad beans or cherries (washed down with green tea) in your recommended five-a-day (five 80g portions of fruit and vegetables, recommended by the UK’s NHS) may be the best way to a healthier heart, new research suggests. The work, involving scientists from the University of Reading, Harvard Medical School, the University of California Davis, and Mars, Inc., found that fewer than one in five people reached the flavanol intake that has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, even including those who regularly ate five portions of fruit and vegetables a day.
Source: Some fruits and vegetables are especially good for heart health