Long-term consumption of lingonberry juice lowers high blood pressure and improves the functions of blood vessels, reveals an experimental study.
Nutrition has a key role in the management of these disorders that come with old age. Studies have shown that polyphenol food reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Lingonberry, bilberry, cranberry and blackcurrant are excellent sources of polyphenols.
“Lingonberry juice is no substitute for medication, but it is a good dietary supplement,” said researcher Anne Kivimaki from University of Helsinki in Finland.
Both lingonberry and cranberry are part of the Vaccinium family of plants, just like bilberries blueberries and huckleberries.
In her doctoral thesis, Kivimaki investigated the cardiovascular effects of cold-pressed lingonberry juice, cranberry juice and blackcurrant juice as drinking fluid for 8-10 weeks on genetically hypertensive rats.
Diluted lingonberry juice significantly lowered high blood pressure while juice that contained more polyphenols improved impaired blood vessel function to the level of healthy vessels, the results showed. (IANS)
