A study in China that spanned seven years and included nearly half a million participants concluded that everyday consumption of fruit decreases the risk of having cardiovascular disease by 40 per cent. Dr. Huaidong Du presented the study at the European Society of Cardiology Congress (ESC) in Barcelona.
The research involved 451,681 participants from China with no history of cardiovascular disease. Their fruit consumption habits were categorized into none, monthly, one to three days per week, four to six days per week or daily. The results showed that the risk of developing cardiovascular disease decreased by 24 to 40 per cent for those who ate fruit on a daily basis. It also lowered the participants’ blood pressure, with daily fruit consumption pointing towards a 3.4 mmHg lower systolic blood pressure and a 4.1 mmHg lower diastolic blood pressure.
