Scientists from the University of Central Lancashire and elsewhere found drinking Montmorency tart cherry and blueberry juice may protect heart health.
The Montmorency cherry is a variety of sour cherry grown in Europe, Canada, and the United States, particularly in the Grand Traverse Bay region of Northwest Michigan and in Door County, Wisconsin.
This type of Cherry is a good source of nutrition as it is high in fiber while containing a variety of essential micronutrients such as vitamins A, C, K, potassium, manganese, and copper.
It also provides smaller, but appreciable amounts of B vitamins and magnesium.
Blueberries are a widely distributed and widespread group of perennial flowering plants with blue or purple berries.
Previous research has shown that blueberries can help heart health, bone strength, skin health, blood pressure, diabetes management, cancer prevention, and mental health.
In the current study, researchers aimed to examine the influence of tart cherry and blueberry juices on the heart and metabolic health following a 20-day supplementation period.
They tested 45 adults who were assigned to receive tart cherry, blueberry, or a placebo, of which they drank 60 mL per day for 20 days.
The team examined systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, resting heart rate, psychological well-being, and sleep efficacy of these people before and after the intervention.
They found there were no big differences in systolic blood pressure.
However, total and LDL cholesterol were much improved with blueberry intake compared to placebo.
Furthermore, the team found these participants’ psychological well-being was strongly improved in the blueberry group compared to the placebo.
Given the clear link between blood cholesterol levels and the risk of heart disease as well as the importance of psychological well-being to health-related quality of life, the team suggests that this study shows that cherry and blueberry juice could be an effective way to manage heart disease.
The research was published in The International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health and conducted by Jonathan Sinclair et al.
If you care about heart health, please read studies about how drinking milk affects the risks of heart disease and cancer, and herbal supplements could harm your heart rhythm.
For more information about heart health, please see recent studies about how espresso coffee affects your cholesterol level, and results showing Vitamin K2 could help reduce heart disease risk.
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