Eat cranberries every day could be the key to a healthy heart. This is the finding of a new study from King’s College London, published March 22, 2022. Including 45 healthy men between the ages of 18 and 45, the study found that those who consumed the equivalent of 100 grams of cranberries per day experienced major signs of improvement in their heart function after a month.
For example, those who ate cranberries saw their arteries widen by 1.5% within two hours of consumption, compared to a control group that received placebo. When the arteries are narrowed, blood flow to the heart is reduced, which significantly increases the risk of heart attack, among other things. “This study further indicates that specific metabolites found in the blood after cranberry consumption are linked to the beneficial effects“, emphasizes Professor Cristian Heiss, participant in the study.
Varied virtues
But this is not the first time that the virtues of cranberry berries have been highlighted. Previous studies have shown that cranberry can help prevent urinary tract infections and reduce the risk of gum disease, stomach ulcers and even cancer.
To take full advantage of its benefits, prefer its consumption in raw form or in mixtures with other dried fruitsrather than consuming them in cranberry juice, which is often very high in sugar.
Sources:
- Daily consumption of cranberry improves endothelial function in healthy adults: a double blind randomized controlled trial, Food & FunctionMarch 22, 2022
- Consumption of a cranberry juice beverage lowered the number of clinical urinary tract infection episodes in women with a recent history of urinary tract infection, The American Journal of Clinical NutritionJune 2016
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