Can This Fruit Lower Blood Pressure?
Three kiwis a day could keephigh blood pressure at bay, a new study suggests.
Research presented at the scientific meeting of the American Heart Association shows thateating three kiwis a dayis linked with decreased blood pressure.
For the study, researchers had 118 men and women (over age 55) who all had slightly high blood pressure to either eat three kiwis a day for eight weeks, or to eat one apple a day for eight weeks.
After the study period, researchers found that the people who ate the kiwis had lower systolic blood pressure (by an average of 3.6 millimeters of mercury) than people who ate the apples.
Researchers said kiwis are lutein-rich, which means they have antioxidant properties. In past research, harmful free radicals (which antioxidants help to beat) have beenlinked with high blood pressure, ScienceDaily reported.
A 2007 study in theJournal of the American College of Nutritionalso showed that kiwifruits areone of the most antioxidant-rich fruits, along with grapes and wild blueberries, the United States Department of Agriculture reported.
However, the new study shouldn't spur people to expect kiwis tomagically lower their high blood pressure,U.S. News and World Reportsaid:
Cardiologists were quick to caution that there is no single magic food or ingredient that is the key to heart health, but they all agreed that kiwi may have a place in the five daily servings of fruit and vegetables that are currently recommended as part of a heart-healthy diet.
In addition, it's important toeat all foods-- even kiwis! -- in moderation, Dr. Nehal Mehta, preventive cardiologist at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, toldU.S. News and World Report.
"Three kiwis a day or 21 kiwis a week does not seem like moderation, and I would caution against eating that much," Mehta toldU.S. News. However, the study likely "puts kiwis on the map."
This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
