Eating raspberries could reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease by up to 15 per cent according to research.
Scientists at King’s College London revealed the berry improves the function of blood vessels thanks to a little compound called ellagitannins, a chemical found in raspberries.
Dr Rodriguez-Mateos and her colleagues studied ten, healthy male volunteers aged 18-35 and were randomly given drinks containing, 200g, 400g or zero grams of raspberries.
Results showed a significant increase in improved artery flow and health for participants that drank the raspberry concoction. The effect lasted 24 hours according to researchers.
If those improvements could be sustained for long enough, the researchers estimate it could cut a person’s risk of developing cardiovascular disease by up to 15 per cent.
Dr Rodriguez-Mateos said: “Although more studies are needed to confirm our findings, we are very excited about the potential role of raspberries and ellagitannins in cardiovascular disease prevention.
“Following up on this study, we are now investigating the long-term benefits of ellagitannins in a larger group of healthy individuals and we are also looking at how our gut microbiota may have an impact on their health benefits.’
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