Study Suggests Fruit Duo May Lower Blood Pressure and Enhance Heart Health
A study indicates that combining two fruits could potentially reduce blood pressure and enhance cardiovascular health.
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) encompasses various conditions like high blood pressure, heart attacks, and strokes. It’s alarming that it stands as the leading cause of death in America, claiming close to a million lives annually.
Recent research has spotlighted certain fruits and vegetables that can help remove harmful plaque from arteries, relieve pressure on blood vessels, and keep the heart from straining too much.
Now, scientists in Illinois have discovered that pairing avocados and mangoes might improve vascular health—a crucial factor in preventing artery diseases, blood clots, heart attacks, and strokes.
In this particular study, over 80 adults with prediabetes—essentially a precursor to type 2 diabetes significantly raising the risk of CVD—either followed a low-fat, low-fiber diet or added a cup of both avocado and mango to their meals.
After eight weeks, those on the avocado-mango diet exhibited considerable improvements in blood vessel function, ultimately lessening the heart’s load and aiding oxygen-rich blood flow to essential organs.
Moreover, participants reported notable improvements in their diastolic blood pressure—the lower figure in blood pressure readings—resulting in reduced strain on the heart and diminishing stroke or heart attack risks.
The researchers attribute these positive changes to the fiber, vitamin C, and unsaturated fats found in avocados and mangoes, suggesting this pairing can be a practical approach to better heart health outside of medication.
Dr. Britt Burton-Freeman, the principal investigator from the Illinois Institute of Technology, emphasized that it’s promising to see how small, nutrient-dense additions, like avocados and mangoes, can positively impact heart health without imposing strict dietary rules.
Interestingly, around 115 million Americans have prediabetes, and about 80% are unaware of their condition.
The study, published in February in the Journal of the American Heart Association, explored 82 prediabetic adults aged 25 to 70, with an average age of 45.
Once a week for eight weeks, participants self-reported their food intake over the previous 24 hours.
On average, those in the avocado-mango group improved their flow-mediated dilation (FMD)—a measure of artery dilation in response to increased blood flow—by 6.7%, indicating better artery function. In contrast, the control group experienced a 4.6% decline in FMD.
Men in the avocado-mango group particularly saw a decrease in diastolic blood pressure by 1.9mmHg, which could accumulate to significant effects over time. Meanwhile, men in the control group showed an increase of 1.9mmHg in blood pressure.
The difference in blood pressure levels was not observed in women, and overall calorie intake or weight showed no significant changes in either group.
A cup of fresh mango contributes about 2.6g of fiber—roughly 7% of an average adult’s daily requirement—as well as 67% of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C.
Fiber is known to help relax blood vessels, enhancing blood flow, and the soluble fiber found in mangoes binds to cholesterol, preventing its absorption and assisting with blood pressure management.
Vitamin C plays a role in protecting nitric oxide, which signals blood vessels to relax and also acts as an antioxidant to decrease inflammation within the vessels.
Avocados are abundant in fiber and unsaturated fats, known to reduce cholesterol levels and lower triglycerides, thus decreasing the likelihood of plaque formation.
The researchers acknowledged that the study’s limitations include its small sample size and the focus on short-term outcomes linked to the avocado-mango combination.
