Study suggests eating 5 fruits and vegetables daily may not provide enough heart-protective compounds
A new study published in the journal Food & Function found that fewer than 25% of people who met standard fruit and vegetable dietary guidelines consumed enough flavanols — plant compounds linked to cardiovascular benefits — to reach the 500mg daily threshold associated with a 27% reduction in cardiovascular disease mortality. Researchers from the University of Reading, Harvard Medical School, UC Davis, and Mars, Inc. analyzed dietary and biomarker data from more than 30,000 adults in the US and UK. The findings suggest that the specific types of fruits and vegetables consumed matter as much as the total quantity, pointing to a potential gap in current dietary guidance.
A study published in Food & Function concludes that following the widely recommended 'five-a-day' guideline for fruit and vegetable consumption is unlikely, on its own, to deliver the flavanol levels associated with cardiovascular benefits. Flavanols are antioxidant plant compounds shown to improve blood flow and reduce inflammation, and prior research — including the COSMOS randomized controlled trial — linked a daily intake of 500mg to a 27% reduction in cardiovascular disease mortality. Analyzing data from over 30,000 US and UK adults, the researchers found that even among those who met dietary guidelines, fewer than one in four reached that 500mg daily threshold. The study team recommends prioritizing high-flavanol foods such as plums, cranberries, blackberries, broad beans, cherries, apples with skin, strawberries, blueberries, pinto beans, and green tea. Lead author Javier Ottaviani emphasized that specific food choices matter far more than total quantity consumed. The researchers stopped short of directly measuring cardiovascular outcomes, relying instead on estimated flavanol consumption. They called for the development of specific dietary reference values for flavanols to make public health guidance more targeted and effective.
What's missing
One of the research institutions listed is Mars, Inc., a major commercial producer of cocoa-based products that are high in flavanols; this potential conflict of interest is not discussed in any of the sources. Additionally, the generalizability of findings beyond US and UK populations is unaddressed.
What different sources said
- New York PostRight
If eating 5 fruits and veggies a day isn’t enough to keep a healthy heart, what’s the solution?
- Fox NewsRight
Eating 5 fruits and vegetables a day may not be enough for heart health, study finds
- The TimesCenter
Green tea, broad beans, berries — are you eating the best five-a-day?
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