One dried fruit can reduce the risk of heart disease

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There are many factors that affect the risk of heart disease diseases – from genetics to nutrition and lifestyle. Recently, scientists found out that it is possible to reduce the risk of such diseases in one simple way.

The study was published in the Journal of Medicinal Food. It says to eat prunes regularly for heart health. 48 healthy middle-aged women participated in the study. They were divided into three groups: one group did not eat prunes, the second consumed 50 g of prunes per day, and the third ate 100 g of this dried fruit daily. There were no other changes in their diet.

It turned out that after six months in both groups that included prunes in their diet, there was a significant improvement in the level of total cholesterol and HDL (“good” cholesterol), which reduces the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. Among the study participants who consumed prunes, chronic inflammation also decreased and the body's antioxidant capacity increased, which also contributes to reducing the risk of heart disease.

It is noted that this is not the first time that studies have shown that prunes can be an effective means of reducing cholesterol and the risk of heart disease. Thus, a 1991 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that in a group of 41 adult men with moderately high cholesterol levels, eating 12 prunes a day significantly reduced LDL (“bad” cholesterol).