Blueberries might be a tasty treat that can also be teamed with multiple desserts but that's not all they are. A new British study has found that consuming blueberries can actually prove to be good for heart health. Conducted by the University of East Anglia, the study looked into how consuming blueberries could affect the Metabolic Syndrome which is a set of metabolic problems that can increase the risk of developing heart disease.
This can lead to multiple other health problems like high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat, low levels of good cholesterol and high levels of triglycerides. The researchers said, “previous studies have indicated that people who regularly eat blueberries have a reduced risk of developing conditions including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. This may be because blueberries are high in naturally occurring compounds called anthocyanins, which are the flavonoids responsible for the red and blue colour in fruits.”
The study was conducted on nearly 138 participants aged between 50-75 years who were overweight and obese and also suffered from Metabolic Syndrome. Conducted over a period of 6 months, the study compared the advantages of consuming 75-gramme portions of blueberries daily as opposed to consuming 150 grammes. While these participants consumed freeze-dried blueberries, a placebo group was given a purple-coloured alternative to compare the results.
“We found that eating one cup of blueberries per day resulted in sustained improvements in vascular function and arterial stiffness ― making enough of a difference to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by between 12 and 15 per cent,” noted study co-author Dr Peter Curtis.
He added, “Unexpectedly, we found no benefit of a smaller 75 gramme (half cup) daily intake of blueberries in this at-risk group. It is possible that higher daily intakes may be needed for heart health benefits in obese, at-risk populations, compared with the general population.” Stay tuned for more updates.