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Regularly eating dark-fleshed grapes, berries and blueberries can improve heart health, a study has suggested.
Researchers found that the naturally occurring compounds in these fruits are associated with ‘modest but consistent’ improvements in cardiovascular risk markers, particularly blood vessel function.
Benefits for blood pressure, inflammation and cholesterol levels were also reported.
The UK and Spanish research teams analysed 17 systematic reviews and meta-analyses, and 20 randomised controlled trials, published since 2015.
One of the strongest studies included in the review found that eating 150g of blueberries – equivalent to a standard supermarket punnet – each day for six months improved blood vessel function, which is vital for blood flow throughout the body.
The researchers said that the changes were consistent with an estimated 12 to 15 per cent reduction in cardiovascular disease risk, although the trial did not directly measure heart attacks or strokes.
Regularly eating dark-fleshed grapes, berries and blueberries can improve heart health, research suggests
The benefits, they said, are probably linked to polyphenols, naturally occurring plant compounds that can reduce inflammation, improve blood vessel function and protect against oxidative stress.
The review, published in the journal Nutrients, found the benefits tended to be clearer in people who had a higher cardiovascular risk, including those who were overweight or obese, had high cholesterol, raised blood pressure or other metabolic risk factors.
The study authors concluded: ‘Given the growing body of evidence over the past decade and rising rates of obesity and cardiovascular disease, increasing public awareness of the potential role of consuming dark-fleshed grapes, blueberries, and fruits such as red berry grapes appears to represent a practical and evidence-informed strategy for promoting cardiovascular health.’
Cardiovascular disease, a term covering coronary heart disease, heart failure and stroke, affects more than seven million people in the UK and accounts for about a quarter of all deaths.
