Top five-a-day foods new study says your heart needs

A significant story is unfolding on the international scene. Top five-a-day foods new study says your heart needs10 minutes ago Share Save Add as preferred on GoogleMichelle RobertsDigital health editorGetty ImagesEating very specific types of fresh food each day - not just any five portions of fruit and vegetables - could help keep your heart healthy, a study suggests. Not all five-a-days are equal, researchers claim, meaning people may not be getting enough important nutrients called flavanols in their diets. Eating blueberries, plums, blackberries, broad beans and cherries, washed down with green tea, is an ideal way to top them up, they say.

In a study of 30,000 people from the US and UK - even in some who regularly ate five portions of fruit and veg a day - these were often lacking. Other experts are more cautious, saying it is unclear if boosting flavanol levels would prevent heart problems. According to new research in the journal Food and Function, fewer than one in five people get enough flavanols (500mg) into their bodies every day.

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These antioxidants, found in certain foods, can support heart health, circulation and blood vessel elasticity by reducing inflammation, it says. The study tracked people's diets and used biomarkers in the participants' urine to monitor intake. Lead investigator Dr Javier Ottaviani said some simple food switches could "make a real difference" to how much of these beneficial compounds are absorbed.

"Most people assume that eating plenty of fruit and vegetables covers this, but what this research shows is that the specific choices you make matter far more than the total amount. "Investigator Prof Gunter Kuhnle, from the University of Reading, said while five-a-day was still the right message, we may need to think more carefully about which five. "Different fruits and vegetables offer very different nutritional benefits beyond vitamins and minerals," he said.

"As our understanding of these compounds grows, there is a real opportunity to make dietary guidance more specific and more effective. "The NHS does not set a recommended daily flavanol level to hit, but around 500mg a day seems to be beneficial for heart health, according to the US Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Foods with the higher flavanol content per portion, based on the researchers' tests, include:plums (one punnet) - 450mg cranberries (one punnet) - 300mgblackberries (punnet) - 250mg green tea (one 250ml cup) - 200mgbroad beans (a small handful) - 140mg cherries (one punnet) - 130mgapple (one medium, skin on) -110mgstrawberries (one punnet) - 90mg blueberries (one punnet) - 80mg pinto beans (two tablespoons) - 70mg The researchers have been doing flavanol studies with the chocolate manufacturing giant Mars Inc, which is investigating cocoa flavanol supplements.

The British Heart Foundation (BHF) says the actual amount of flavanols in commercial chocolate - and indeed other foods - varies a lot.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.