Grab This Cereal Topper for Better Blood Pressure

Hot or cold, cereal always tastes better with a little something on top. And for better blood
pressure, the topper you should choose is blueberries.
In a recent study of people with health conditions, those who had freeze-dried blueberries added to
their diets every day experienced significant improvements in both their systolic and diastolic blood
pressure after just 8 weeks.
Blue-Blooded Benefits
Researchers think that nutrients in blueberries may help soften blood pressure by increasing body
levels of enzymes that relax blood vessels. These enzymes also support healthy endothelium --
those fragile cells that line blood vessel walls. And the blueberry lovin' may be particularly helpful
for people with sub-par health. In the study, all of the men and women were obese (body mass
index of 30 or more) and had metabolic syndrome -- a cluster of health risk factors that can lead to
diabetes or heart disease. (Get more antioxidants from your blueberries by eating them this
way.)
Taking the Pressure Off
The amount of blueberries the people in the study consumed was pretty high -- the equivalent of
over 2 cups of fresh berries per day. But blueberries aren't the only way to get some blood-
pressure-friendly berry nutrition into your diet. Similar benefits have also been seen in studies with
cranberries, strawberries, raspberries, and lingonberries as well as other fresh fruit. So get your
winter fruit on! (Find out what other foods do your blood pressure right.)
Got high cholesterol, too? Then here's the snack for you.
Benefit
Keeping your blood pressure at 115/76 mm Hg can make your RealAge as much as 12 years
younger. Take the RealAge Test!
References
Blueberries decrease cardiovascular risk factors in obese men and women with metabolic
syndrome. Basu, A. et al., Journal of Nutrition 2010 Sep;140(9):1582-1587.