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Blueberries, leafy veggies, olive oil lower heart risk

01/15/2011 19:38:00 admin
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A recent study led Aedin Cassidy and colleagues from University of East Anglia suggests eating blueberries may help reduce risk of hypertension or high blood pressure.

Hypertension has been linked to increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

Specifically, the researchers found Highest intakes of anthocyanins found mainly in blueberries and strawberries were correlated with a 8 percent reduced risk of hypertension, compared the lowest intakes.

Those who ate highest amounts of blueberries (at least one serving of blueberries per week) were 10 percent less likely to develop hypertension, compared with those who did not eat berries.

The study scheduled to appear next month in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests bioactive compounds in blueberries called anthocyanins help protect against high blood pressure.

Another study in the Dec 22, 2010 issue of American Journal of Clinical nutrition also suggests that eating leafy vegetables and olive oil may help cut coronary heart disease.

The study led by Bendinelli B and colleagues of Cancer Research and Prevention Institute in Florence, Italy showed Italian women who had highest intake of leafy vegetable were 46 percent less likely to develop coronary heart disease, compared with those who ate the lowest amount.

The researchers also found there was no association between fruit consumption and coronary heart disease risk.

For the study, the researchers followed nearly 30,000 women enrolled between 1993 and 1998 in five European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohorts.  During the 8-year follow-up, 144 coronary heart disease events were identified.

They found Women who had the highest intake of olive oil were 44 percent less likely to suffer coronary heart disease events, compared with those who had lowest intake of olive oil.

David Liu
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