As the saying goes, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." Eating one apple a day has many benefits. However, according to a report on the U.S. "HealthDay" website, a new Norwegian study announced at the American Heart Association's Orlando meeting claims that eating three kiwis a day can lower blood pressure, with a more significant effect than eating an apple.
In the new study, scientists from Oslo University Hospital studied 50 male participants and 68 female participants. These participants, with an average age of 55, were randomly divided into two groups: one group ate three kiwis a day ("kiwi group"), and the other group ate one apple a day ("apple group"). The study lasted for 8 weeks. At the start of the study, the participants' average blood pressure was 128/85 mmHg, which was slightly high compared to the ideal blood pressure (below 120/80 mmHg). Besides increasing fruit intake, there were no other changes to the participants' diets. Researchers measured participants' blood pressure randomly over 24 hours. The results showed that the blood pressure-lowering effect of eating three kiwis a day was better than eating one apple a day. The study results showed that after 8 weeks, the systolic blood pressure of the "kiwi group" participants was 3.6 mmHg lower than that of the "apple group" participants.
Dr. Mette Svendsen, the lead researcher of the new study, pointed out that although kiwis are small fruits, their green flesh is rich in nutrients. The high content of the antioxidant lutein in them has the effect of lowering blood pressure. However, heart disease experts caution that no single food has a magical effect on reducing heart disease. This study does not indicate that kiwi is a magical fruit, and the public should not blindly take lutein supplements based on this new research result. Dr. Elliot Antman, a professor at Harvard Medical School, stated that the research results are gratifying, but patients with high blood pressure should not stop taking their medication on their own. However, experts such as Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, a preventive cardiologist in New York, unanimously agreed that kiwi should be included in the heart-healthy "five servings of fruits and vegetables a day" diet.