Consuming three kiwis a day could reduce the risk of hypertension , according to a study developed by researchers at the University Hospital of Oslo (Norway) whose results were presented this week at the last meeting of the American Heart Association (AHA).
In a study of 118 individuals around 55 years of age with slightly high blood pressure, researcher Mette Svendsen and her colleagues divided the patients into two groups, one that took three kiwis a day and another that consumed an apple a day for eight weeks .
The results showed that the group that had eaten kiwis had a 24-hour systolic blood pressure 3.6 millimeters of mercury lower than that of those subjects who had consumed an apple a day. Diastolic blood pressure was also lower in the first group, although the association with fruit was not so clear
Researchers attribute the positive effects of this fruit to its content in lutein , a substance with antioxidant properties. However, they recognize that the association between the intake of this food and lower blood pressure is not yet clear enough, so they are committed to conducting more studies before incorporating kiwi as part of the eating plan to combat hypertension.
