There are many ways to lower the risk of heart disease and stroke. On of them is eating strawberries every day. People who ate strawberries for two months had reduced markers for atherosclerosis, or furring up of the arteries, a health study found. The research was carried out on people with metabolic syndrome, a collection of symptoms including obesity and high cholesterol levels, which are both associated with a raised risk of heart disease.
In the University of Oklahoma study, patients had four cups of a drink made from 50g of freeze-dried strawberries and water, or three cups of fresh strawberries. Cholesterol levels in those who’d had the strawberries dropped by 10 per cent; meanwhile, their levels of a compound called vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, associated with a higher risk of atherosclerosis, was also reduced by nearly 20 per cent. It is thought the benefits are down to ellagic acid, an antioxidant in strawberries.
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