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Blood Pressure Fix?



HealthDay
December 6, 2011


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Transcript

 

Apples may get all the credit for keeping the doctor away, but a fuzzy little fruit you may have overlooked might be better for your blood pressure!

In a new study, researchers asked volunteers to eat either three kiwis or one apple every day for two months. The men and women were about 55 years old on average, and everyone's blood pressure was a little high. At the end of the study, blood pressure was almost 4 points lower in the people who ate kiwis than those who ate apples. This drop was in their systolic blood pressure, the first number you see in a blood-pressure measurement.

This was a small study. Researchers will need to test kiwis on more people before they can recommend the fruit as a treatment for high blood pressure. However, this study reminds us why we should eat a variety of fruits and vegetables every day. Each type has its own natural chemicals that may be good for your health in a different way. So if you haven't tried a new fruit or vegetable lately, now's a good day to do it!

I'm Dr. Cindy Haines of HealthDay TV, with the news that doctors are reading; health news that matters to you.