I would have to say this is likely bad analysis. In China only the richer people can probably afford fruit, they probably live in better, non polluted neighborhoods, have better health care, less dangerous jobs. Someone went in with a bias and cherry picked evidence.
Don’t want to have a stroke? Reach for an apple
It’s not just apples — any kind of fruit might keep the doctor
away: Eating fruit daily could protect you from heart disease and
stroke, reports the New England Journal of Medicine.
In the study of more than 500,000 adults in China, researchers found that those who consumed fruit daily were 40 percent less likely to die from heart disease than those never or rarely ate fruit.
They were also 34 percent less likely to have a heart attack, and 36 percent less likely to experience an ischemic stroke, the most common kind of stroke that occurs when blood flow to the brain becomes blocked.
And it doesn’t take much fruit to make a difference: The people who consumed the most fruit were only taking in an average of about 170 grams a day.
That’s slightly less than a medium-sized apple, which clocks in at 182 grams, according to the USDA Nutrient Database.
Researchers aren’t sure of the exact reason why fruit is so beneficial.
But what they do know, however, is that it’s a rich source of potassium, fiber, folate, antioxidants, and phytochemicals, which have each been shown to protect the heart, says study author Huaidong Du, Ph.D., of the University of Oxford.
Of course, people who eat more fruit may tend to have healthier diets overall and exercise more frequently—two other heart-healthy habits—but researchers controlled for those factors in their analysis.
Related: The 21-Day Metashred — an at-home body-shredding program that strips away fat and reveals rock-hard muscle
Since the link remained even after adjusting for those factors, it’s likely that there is something specific about fruit that’s responsible for protecting your heart.
The takeaway? Fit at least one serving of fruit in your diet every day, Dr. Du says. To hit the average the study participants consumed, that would be about one medium apple, one medium pear, 9 large strawberries, or 1 cup cubed cantaloupe.
Blend it up in one these 20 healthy, protein-packed smoothie recipes to get an even bigger nutritional bang for your buck.
In the study of more than 500,000 adults in China, researchers found that those who consumed fruit daily were 40 percent less likely to die from heart disease than those never or rarely ate fruit.
They were also 34 percent less likely to have a heart attack, and 36 percent less likely to experience an ischemic stroke, the most common kind of stroke that occurs when blood flow to the brain becomes blocked.
And it doesn’t take much fruit to make a difference: The people who consumed the most fruit were only taking in an average of about 170 grams a day.
That’s slightly less than a medium-sized apple, which clocks in at 182 grams, according to the USDA Nutrient Database.
Researchers aren’t sure of the exact reason why fruit is so beneficial.
But what they do know, however, is that it’s a rich source of potassium, fiber, folate, antioxidants, and phytochemicals, which have each been shown to protect the heart, says study author Huaidong Du, Ph.D., of the University of Oxford.
Of course, people who eat more fruit may tend to have healthier diets overall and exercise more frequently—two other heart-healthy habits—but researchers controlled for those factors in their analysis.
Related: The 21-Day Metashred — an at-home body-shredding program that strips away fat and reveals rock-hard muscle
Since the link remained even after adjusting for those factors, it’s likely that there is something specific about fruit that’s responsible for protecting your heart.
The takeaway? Fit at least one serving of fruit in your diet every day, Dr. Du says. To hit the average the study participants consumed, that would be about one medium apple, one medium pear, 9 large strawberries, or 1 cup cubed cantaloupe.
Blend it up in one these 20 healthy, protein-packed smoothie recipes to get an even bigger nutritional bang for your buck.
This article originally appeared on Men’s Health.
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