2023 Author: Bryan Walter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-21 22:24
Consuming a dried mixture equivalent to 150 grams of blueberries per day can significantly reduce the risk of heart disease in people with metabolic syndrome by about 12-15 percent. This is the conclusion reached by British scientists who conducted a six-month controlled study, during which they studied the effect of the presence of blueberries in the diet on the health of overweight people. This is reported in an article published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
In metabolic syndrome, there is an increase in the volume of adipose tissue in the waist area, insulin resistance and disorders of carbohydrate and fat metabolism in the body. The presence of this syndrome is one of the most common causes of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, but the risk of developing them can be reduced: for example, by using special diet and physical activity, which will ensure weight loss.
Consuming certain types of foods can also help. In a new study, scientists led by Aiden Cassidy of Norwich School of Medicine (University of East Anglia) decided to test whether consuming blueberries can help with metabolic syndrome. Blueberries contain the blue-colored flavonoids anthocyanins, which have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects on the human body.
The study involved 115 people aged 56 to 70 years and an average body mass index of more than 30 kg / m2, all participants were diagnosed with metabolic syndrome. Scientists collected information about the presence of other diseases, about smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, and took into account demographic indicators.
The participants were divided into three groups: the participants had to eat a dried mixture made from blueberries (equivalent to 150 or 75 grams of berries, depending on the group) for six months. The third group was a control group and received a placebo: powder identical in taste and appearance, without blueberries in the composition. As the main indicators of the health of the cardiovascular system, scientists measured biomarkers of insulin resistance, vascular function, fat concentration and anthocyanin metabolism in the body before and after the diet.
The researchers found that among participants who consumed 150 grams of blueberries per day for six months, there was an improvement in endothelial function (p = 0.003) and a decrease in arterial stiffness (p = 0.04) - both indicators, according to scientists, say to improve the work of the cardiovascular system. At the same time, a similar effect was not observed in the group of participants who consumed half the berries and in the placebo group.
From the editor
The study was supported by the US Highbush Blueberry Council, a municipal organization that monitors the distribution of blueberries in the United States, which may lead some to be wary of the results of the study. At the same time, in the notes to the work, the authors clarify that the sponsoring organization did not participate in any of the stages of the research and writing of the article. We thank our readers for their vigilance. Despite the fact that the scientists were not able to change the insulin resistance indicators of the participants, the authors of the work concluded that the observed changes in biomarkers can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in metabolic syndrome by about 12-15 percent. That is why they recommend using blueberries in dietary recommendations for the prevention of heart and vascular diseases.
Last year, scientists on a sample of more than 150,000 Koreans showed that an increased risk of developing metabolic syndrome is also associated with insufficient or excessive sleep: up to six or more than ten hours.
