Strawberries and blueberries are good and rich in vitamins, but also very, very healthy, especially for women. Because? According to a study published in Circulation by researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health (USA) and the University of East Anglia (UK), they could help them fight heart attacks and cardiovascular disease.
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Strawberries and blueberries, but in general red fruits, are good and rich in vitamins, but also very, very healthy, especially for women. Because? According to a study published in Circulation by researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health (USA) and the University of East Anglia (UK), they could help them fight heart attacks and cardiovascular diseases.
Based on an analysis that began in 1991 and conducted on over 93.000 women between the ages of 25 and 42, which the researchers followed for 18 years, it was found that to reduce the risk of heart attack by a third, just eating strawberries and blueberries at least three times a week.
According to the study, the risk of having a heart attack, in fact, is 34% lower for those who eat more than three servings (or about one and a half cups) of these fruits per week compared to those who do not consume any at all. And there is also a "litmus test": since those who consume a lot of fruit and vegetables are, in general, healthier, the team has taken care of rule out other factors which could have influenced the result.
That's how they determined that the risk reduction was still there even after excluding BMI, physical activity, saturated fat intake, caffeine and alcohol use, and a family history of heart attacks. And it was there even after taking out hypertension and diabetes. Therefore, the researchers say, all thanks to two little "heroes", hidden in the tasty berries: they are the flavonoids, also present in grapes, blackberries, aubergines, and a specific class of the same flavonoids, the anthocyanins, which help to keep the arteries dilated and to counteract the formation of plaques.
More research will now be needed to determine if this benefit also applies to older men and women, but certainly eating strawberries and blueberries can only do you good. “Blueberries and strawberries can easily be added to what women eat every week. This simple dietary change could have a significant impact on prevention, ”explains Eric Rimm, head of research.
Roberta Ragni
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