ECU research suggests more apples, berries, tea and chocolate key to longer life

An apple a day as well as a cup of tea could help people live longer, new research suggests.

The study involving researchers from Edith Cowan University found that increasing the diversity of flavonoids people consume could lower their risk of developing serious health conditions such as cancer or cardiovascular disease.

Flavonoid-rich foods include tea, berries, apples, grapes, oranges and dark chocolate.

The study, published on Monday in the journal Nature Food, is the first of its kind to suggest health benefits from consuming a wide range of flavonoids, rather than a high quantity of a single source.

The study tracked more than 120,000 people aged between 40 and 70 for a decade.

Lead author Benjamin Parmenter from ECU said flavonoid intake of around 500mg a day — equivalent to two cups of tea — was associated with a 16 per cent lower risk of mortality from all causes. It was also linked with a 10 per cent lower risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and respiratory disease.

But people who had the widest diversity of flavonoids from different foods had an even lower risk, even when consuming the same total amount.

The first-ever dietary guidelines for flavonoids were released recently, recommending increasing the consumption of flavonoids to maintain health.

“Our study provides inaugural evidence that we may also need to advise increasing diversity of intake of these compounds for optimal benefits,” Dr Parmenter said.

Co-lead author Aedin Cassidy, from Queen’s University Belfast, said the study was significant.

“The results provide a clear public health message suggesting that simple and achievable dietary swaps, such as drinking more tea and eating more berries and apples for example, can help increase the variety and intake of flavonoid-rich foods, and potentially improve health in the long-term,” he said.

Co-researcher Tilman Kuhn from the Medical University of Vienna noted the study’s findings aligned with popular claims that eating colourful foods were invaluable to maintain good health.

“Eating fruits and vegetables in a variety of colours, including those rich in flavonoids, means you’re more likely to get the vitamins and nutrients you need to sustain a healthier lifestyle,” he said.