A recent study has found that middle-aged people with metabolic syndrome (Mets) had improved blood pressure and vascular function after eating pears daily.
Mets is a cluster of major cardiovascular risk factors highly linked to the development of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and type II diabetes. Among the most popular fruits in the world, pears are an excellent source of fibre and a good source of vitamin C, for only 100 calories per serving. One medium pear provides 24 percent of daily fibre needs.
The researchers analysed 50 participants aged between 45 and 65 years with three of the five symptoms of Mets. They were randomly assigned to receive either two medium-sized fresh pears or 50 g pear-flavoured drink mix (placebo) per day for 12 weeks. The randomised, placebo-controlled crossover clinical trial evaluated the anti-hypertensive effects of fresh pear consumption in middle-aged participants with Mets.
The findings showed that after 12 weeks of fresh pear consumption in 36 participants, their systolic blood pressure and pulse pressure were significantly lower than baseline levels, whereas there were no changes in the control group.
