By Life Quotes, Inc. Staff

Americans now have an even more pressing reason to increase their fruit consumption, as an analysis from the Nurse’s Health Study has discovered that consuming blueberries can significantly reduce an individual’s chances of developing high blood pressure.

The study, conducted by researchers from Harvard University and the University of East Anglia, analyzed data on 181,000 men and women tracked for 14 years during the Nurse’s Health Study. At the beginning of the study none of the participants suffered from hypertension, but 35,000 became affected by the condition during the course of the investigation.

By analyzing diet pattern evaluations the participants submitted every four years, researchers noticed that those who were consuming the highest amount of anthyocyanins – flavonoids found in many fruits – were 8 percent less likely to develop hypertension compared to those who only took in the lowest servings.

A recent study by scientists at the Cancer Research and Prevention Institute in Florence, Italy found that foods such as leafy green vegetables and olive oil also have properties that help prevent heart disease and, consequently, provide lower life insurance premiums.

This article was originally published by Life Quotes, Inc.