Now, researchers at King's College London have reported that eating 100 grams of cranberries, or approximately nine grams of cranberry powder, per day can have an impact on wellbeing.
Cranberries may be the secret to improved heart health. The fruit is rich in unique proanthocyanidins that have distinct properties compared to polyphenols found in other fruits.
Now, researchers at King's College London have reported that eating 100 grams of cranberries, or approximately nine grams of cranberry powder, per day can have an impact on wellbeing.
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"Our findings provide solid evidence that cranberries can significantly affect vascular health even in people with low cardiovascular risk," Dr Christian Heiss, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Surrey, said.
"This study further indicates that specific metabolites present in blood after cranberry consumption are related to the beneficial effects."
For the clinical trial, the researchers analysed the results of 45 healthy men who consumed cranberries every day for a month. Those consuming cranberries had a significant improvement in flow-mediated dilation (FMD), which signals improvement of heart and blood vessel function. FMD is considered a sensitive biomarker of cardiovascular disease risk and measures how blood vessels widen when blood flow increases.
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"The fact that these improvements in cardiovascular health were seen with an amount of cranberries that can be reasonably consumed daily makes cranberry an important fruit in the prevention of cardiovascular disease for the general public," Dr Ana Rodriguez-Mateos, Senior Lecturer in Nutrition at the Department of Nutritional Sciences, added.
Full study results have been published in the ‘Food & Function’ journal.
(Cover Media/Reuters)