Most dietary guidelines recommend eating five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, but new data shows that choosing specific foods is equally important for heart health. This was reported by Euronews, according to UNN.
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Any healthy diet should include a balanced amount of protein, fiber, carbohydrates, and other nutrients found in food and drinks.
Each of these components brings specific benefits to the body, and to maintain health, a person needs to consume them in the minimum recommended amounts.
One of the lesser-known components is flavanols—a group of natural plant compounds that have antioxidant properties. Flavanols support heart health. Previous studies have shown that a daily intake of at least 500 mg of flavanols significantly reduces the risk of death from cardiovascular diseases.
However, a new study published in the journal Food & Function analyzed data from over 30,000 participants from the UK and the US and concluded that following current dietary guidelines—such as eating any five portions of fruit or vegetables a day—is insufficient to achieve beneficial levels of flavanols in the body.
Flavanols can significantly reduce the risk of death from cardiovascular diseases, but only if you consume them in sufficient quantities
He added that most people assume that a large amount of fruit and vegetables alone covers this need, but our study shows that specific food choices are far more important than total volume.
Scientists found that among participants who followed current recommendations for fruit and vegetable consumption and generally maintained a healthy diet, less than 25% received at least 500 mg of flavanols per day. Furthermore, there was virtually no difference in flavanol intake between those who ate many fruits and vegetables and those who ate few.
How to add enough flavanols to a healthy diet?
Flavanols are found in pome fruits, berries, and stone fruits, as well as in vegetables such as pinto beans, red kidney beans, and fava beans. They are also present in tea and cocoa-based products.
"A handful of blackberries, a whole apple, or a cup of green tea with a meal can significantly increase the amount of these beneficial compounds you receive and absorb from food," Ottaviani noted.
Which foods are richest in flavanols?
The flavanol content in fruits and vegetables varies greatly. Here are the leaders in terms of content:
- plums (500 g) - 450 mg;
- cranberries (250 g) - 300 mg;
- blackberries (200 g) - 250 mg;
- green tea (250 ml, one cup) - 200 mg;
- broad beans / fava beans (80 g) - 140 mg;
- sweet cherries (400 g, about 30 pieces) - 130 mg;
- apple with skin (one medium) - 110 mg;
- strawberries (200 g) - 90 mg;
- blueberries (150 g, one pack) - 80 mg;
- pinto beans (40 g, two tablespoons of dry
grains) - 70 mg.
Different fruits and vegetables provide us with very different nutritional benefits that go far beyond vitamins and minerals. As our understanding of these compounds deepens, there is a real opportunity to make dietary recommendations more precise and effective
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