According to a new study all the people who consume a diet rich in flavanol-heavy food — such as apples, berries and tea do tend to have lower blood pressure. Researchers in the United Kingdom have studied that the diets of more than 25,000 people in the UK and compared what they ate with their blood pressure, which is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.While other studies have found a link between flavanols and health benefits, this study was the first to measure intake of the compounds objectively using biomarkers found in urine.
Most other research relies on participants keeping food diaries but these are often flawed by a tendency to under-report protein and sugar intake, the study which published in the journal Scientific Reports, said.What’s more, the amount of flavanols in certain foods can vary widely. For example, the amount found in tea, one of the main sources in the UK diet, ranges from 10 milligrams per 100 grams of tea to 330 milligrams per 100 grams of tea.
The secret to maintaining and losing weight: Berries, onions and wine”This is an important, high-quality investigation of some physiological effects of dietary flavanoids in a large UK population,” said Ian Johnson, a nutrition researcher and emeritus fellow at the Quadram Institute Bioscience in the UK. Johnson wasn’t involved in the research.