AKIPRESS.COM - High blood pressure is when your blood pressure, the force of your blood pushing against the walls of your blood vessels, is consistently too high. If left unchecked, high blood pressure can pose serious health risks such as an increased risk of heart disease.
Fortunately, the dangers can be kept at bay if necessary steps are taken. A recent study finds eating blueberries can help to lower a person’s blood pressure reading.
A new study published in the Journal of Gerontology Series A has found that eating 200g of blueberries every day for a month can lead to an improvement in blood vessel function and a decrease in systolic blood pressure in healthy people.
Researchers from King's College London studied 40 healthy volunteers for one month.
They were randomly given either a drink containing 200g of blueberries, or a matched control drink daily.
The team monitored chemicals in volunteers' blood and urine as well as their blood pressure and flow-mediated dilation (FMD) of the brachial artery: a measure of how the artery widens when blood flow increases, which is considered a sensitive biomarker of cardiovascular disease risk.
In a further study, researchers compared the effects of a blueberry drink with those of purified anthocyanins, a type of phytochemical responsible for the blue, red, pink and purple colour of some fruits and vegetables such as berries and red grapes.