Heart Diseases--Prevention Update
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01/15/2013 04:59 PM EST
Strawberries, blueberries may cut heart attack risk in women | American Heart Association
Source: American Heart Association
01/14/2013 04:00 PM EST
Berries May Cut Heart Attack Risk in Women, Study Says: MedlinePlus
18-year study found health benefits beyond those of other fruits, veggies
Source: HealthDay
Strawberries, blueberries may cut heart attack risk in women | American Heart Association
Strawberries, blueberries may cut heart attack risk in women
January 14, 2013
Study Highlights:
- Women who ate at least three servings of blueberries and strawberries per week had fewer heart attacks.
- Blueberries and strawberries contain high levels of compounds that have cardiovascular benefits.
EMBARGOED UNTIL 4 pm ET, Monday, January 14, 2013
DALLAS, Jan. 14, 2013 – Eating three or more servings of blueberries and strawberries per week may help women reduce their risk of a heart attack by as much as one-third, researchers reported in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Blueberries and strawberries contain high levels of naturally occurring compounds called dietary flavonoids, also found in grapes and wine, blackberries, eggplant, and other fruits and vegetables. A specific sub-class of flavonoids, called anthocyanins, may help dilate arteries, counter the buildup of plaque and provide other cardiovascular benefits, according to the study.
“Blueberries and strawberries can easily be incorporated into what women eat every week,” said Eric Rimm D.Sc., senior author and Associate Professor of Nutrition and Epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, Mass. “This simple dietary change could have a significant impact on prevention efforts.”
Blueberries and strawberries were part of this analysis simply because they are the most-eaten berries in the United States. Thus, it’s possible that other foods could produce the same results, researchers said.
Scientists from the Harvard School of Public Health in the United States and the University of East Anglia, United Kingdom conducted a prospective study among 93,600 women ages 25 to 42 who were registered with the Nurses’ Health Study II. The women completed questionnaires about their diet every four years for 18 years.
During the study, 405 heart attacks occurred. Women who ate the most blueberries and strawberries had a 32-percent reduction in their risk of heart attack compared to women who ate the berries once a month or less – even in women who otherwise ate a diet rich in other fruits and vegetables.
“We have shown that even at an early age, eating more of these fruits may reduce risk of a heart attack later in life,” said Aedín Cassidy, Ph.D., lead author and head of the Department of Nutrition at Norwich Medical School of the University of East Anglia in Norwich, United Kingdom.
The findings were independent of other risk factors, such as age, high blood pressure, family history of heart attack, body mass, exercise, smoking, caffeine or alcohol intake.
The American Heart Association supports eating berries as part of an overall balanced diet that also includes other fruits, vegetables and whole-grain products. Eating a variety of foods is the best way to get the right amounts of nutrients.
Other co-authors are Kenneth J. Mukamal, M.D.; Lydia Liu, M.Sc.; Mary Franz, M.Sc. and A. Heather Eliassen, Sc.D..
Author disclosures are on the manuscript.
The National Institutes of Health and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council of the United Kingdom funded the study.
Visit the American Heart Association’s nutrition center for more information about healthy eating.
Follow @HeartNews on Twitter for the latest heart and stroke news.
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Statements and conclusions of study authors published in American Heart Association scientific journals are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect the association’s policy or position. The association makes no representation or guarantee as to their accuracy or reliability. The association receives funding primarily from individuals; foundations and corporations (including pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make donations and fund specific association programs and events. The association has strict policies to prevent these relationships from influencing the science content. Revenues from pharmaceutical and device corporations are available at www.heart.org/corporatefunding.
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Berries May Cut Heart Attack Risk in Women, Study Says
18-year study found health benefits beyond those of other fruits, veggies
Monday, January 14, 2013
MONDAY, Jan. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Eating three or more servings of blueberries and strawberries each week may help reduce a woman's risk of heart attack, a large new study suggests.
The study included nearly 94,000 young and middle-aged women who took part in the Nurses' Health Study II. The women completed questionnaires about their diet every four years for 18 years.
During the study period, 405 participants had heart attacks. Women who ate the most blueberries and strawberries were 32 percent less likely to have a heart attack, compared to women who ate berries once a month or less. This held true even among women who ate a diet rich in other fruits and vegetables.
This benefit was independent of other heart risk factors such as advancing age, high blood pressure, family history of heart attack, body mass index, exercise, smoking, and caffeine and alcohol intake. The findings appear online Jan. 14 in the journal Circulation.
The study can't say specifically what about the berries seemed to result in a lower risk of heart attack among these women, or that there was a direct cause-and-effect link between eating the berries and lowered heart attack risk. But blueberries and strawberries contain high levels of compounds that may help widen arteries, which counters plaque buildup, the researchers said. Heart attacks can occur when plaque blocks blood flow to the heart.
"Berries were the most commonly consumed sources of these substances in the U.S. diet, and they are one of the best sources of these powerful bioactive compounds," said study lead author Aedin Cassidy. "These substances, called anthocyanins -- a flavonoid -- are naturally present in red- and blue-colored fruits and vegetables, so they are also found in high amounts in cherries, grapes, eggplant, black currants, plums and other berries."
Men are likely to benefit from eating berries as well, although this study included only women, said Cassidy, who is head of the department of nutrition at Norwich Medical School at the University of East Anglia, in England.
Although more research is needed to confirm these benefits, "these data are important from a public health perspective because these fruits can be readily incorporated into the habitual diet," the study concluded.
Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, a preventive cardiologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, noted that this was a "huge study that followed women for a long period of time. Women who ate three or more servings of strawberries and blueberries per week decreased their heart attack risk by one-third. This is pretty compelling."
Steinbaum's advice to both women and men is to include berries in their diet, and make them part of their daily fruit and vegetable fill.
One serving of blueberries or strawberries equals about one cup.
Dana Greene, a nutritionist in Boston, regularly tells her patients to consume more fruits and vegetables, including berries.
"They are so good for you," Greene said. Besides flavonoids, berries also are loaded with other nutrients, including vitamin C, potassium and folate.
"I tell all patients to make sure that half of their plate is filled with fruits and vegetables, especially richly colored ones like blueberries and strawberries," Greene said. "Berries can also help people lose weight and maintain that loss because they feel fuller faster. There is no downside."
The study was funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health and the U.K. Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.
SOURCES: Aedin Cassidy, Ph.D., head, department of nutrition, Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, England; Suzanne Steinbaum, D.O., preventive cardiologist, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York City; Dana Greene, M.S., R.D., nutritionist, Boston; Jan. 14, 2013, Circulation online
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