ASN endorses prune and strawberry consumption to combat “one of the leading causes of death”

27 Jul 2023 --- The American Society of Nutrition (ASN) presented a pair of studies conducted in postmenopausal women and men aged 55 years and older, which posits that daily prune consumption has promising effects on several biomarkers related to cardiovascular health.

The studies were presented as abstracts at Nutrition 2023, the organization’s annual flagship meeting in Boston, the US.

“We want to advance the research on this topic area to better understand how prune consumption relates to cardiometabolic health outcomes, especially in the aging population that often experiences an elevated risk for cardiovascular disease,” says Dr. Mary Jane De Souza, from Pennsylvania State University and principal author of one of the studies.

The studies represent the latest additions to research on prune consumption and human health. Previous research shows that daily prune consumption supports gut health, bone health and weight management. 

Multitude of risk factors
Cardiovascular diseases are among the leading causes of death in the US, and risk factors include high cholesterol levels, diabetes, obesity and aging. Eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables is one of the primary dietary recommendations to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

The current studies revealed that in men, long-term prune consumption improved high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and the total cholesterol to HDL ratio while decreasing oxidative stress and the inflammatory biomarker C-reactive protein (CRP).

In older women, long-term prune consumption had no adverse effect on metabolic measures related to heart disease risk, including total cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting glucose and insulin levels.

“Currently, there are a limited number of randomized controlled trials conducted in aging men and women that explore the relationship between prune consumption and cardiovascular-related blood biomarkers,” says De Souza.ASN wants to advance studies about prune consumption’s benefits for cardiovascular health. 

“While all fruits and vegetables provide essential nutrients, prunes make for an easy, convenient and versatile snack or recipe ingredient accessible year-round and can help support consumers’ cardiovascular health goals,” says Andrea Giancoli, nutrition advisor at the California Prune Board. 

Throw in strawberries for good measure
Daily strawberry consumption was linked to improved cognitive function in older adults, lower blood pressure and higher antioxidant capacity in a randomized clinical trial presented at Nutrition 2023. 

Strawberry intake has also been associated with improved cardiometabolic health. The study was conducted on 35 healthy men and women aged 66 to 78 at San Diego State University and builds on previous research demonstrating the cardiovascular, metabolic, and cognitive health benefits.

Cognitive processing speed increased by 5%, systolic blood pressure decreased by 4%, and total antioxidant capacity significantly increased by 10%. 

“This study demonstrates that consuming strawberries may promote cognitive function and improve cardiovascular risk factors like hypertension. We’re encouraged that a simple dietary change, like adding strawberries to the daily diet, may improve these outcomes in older adults,” says Shirin Hooshmand, professor in the School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences at San Diego State and principal investigator on the study. 

Strawberries provide our daily vitamin C needs. The fruit contains folate and potassium, fiber, phytosterols and polyphenols.

A study published in BMC Medicine states that an increase in the daily consumption of free sugars by 5% of energy intake can increase the risk of total cardiovascular disease by 7%, the risk of ischemic heart disease (IHD) by 6% and the risk of strokes by 10%. Free sugars are sugars added to foods and drinks that naturally occur in honey, syrups and unsweetened fruit juice. 

By Inga de Jong