Adding foods like blueberries, plums, blackberries, fava beans, and cherries to your daily diet may be an easy way to support heart health, especially when combined with green tea, according to new research.
A large international study led by scientists from the University of Reading, Harvard Medical School, the University of California, Davis, and Mars found that most people don’t get enough flavanols, natural compounds linked to a lower risk of heart disease.
Researchers found that less than 20% of people reach the flavanol intake associated with heart health benefits. Even many people who regularly ate the recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables a day failed to reach that goal.
Published in magazine on June 8, 2026 food and functionthis study analyzed dietary data from more than 30,000 people in the UK and US using biomarker measurements to assess flavanol intake.
Most people are deficient in flavanols
Dr Javier Ottaviani, lead author of the study, said: ‘Flavanols can significantly reduce the risk of death from cardiovascular disease, but only when consumed in sufficient quantities.Most people think that they can compensate for this by eating lots of fruits and vegetables. “What this study shows is that specific choices are far more important than total intake: A handful of blackberries, a whole apple, or a cup of green tea with a meal can make a big difference in how much of these beneficial compounds you actually get.” It is ingested and absorbed through food. ”
The results of this study suggest that simply increasing your fruit and vegetable intake may not be enough. The specific foods people choose appear to play an important role in determining the amount of flavanols they actually consume.
Foods highest in heart-healthy flavanols
Previous studies, including the COSMOS study, the largest clinical trial examining flavanols, found that consuming 500 milligrams of flavanols per day significantly lowers the risk of death from heart disease.
New research shows that even when following standard healthy eating recommendations such as the NHS Eatwell Guide, most people remain well below that level.
Researchers identified the following foods as the richest dietary sources of flavanols per serving:
- Plums (500g, approx. 1 grain): Approximately 450mg flavanols
- Cranberries (250g, about 1 grain): about 300mg of flavanols
- Blackberries (200g, approx. 1 blackberry): Approximately 250mg flavanols
- Green tea (1 250ml cup): Approximately 200mg flavanols
- Broad Beans/Fava Beans (80g, small handful): approx. 140mg flavanols
- Cherries (400g, approx. 1 cherry): Approximately 130mg flavanols
- Apple with skin (200g, 1 medium apple): Approximately 110mg flavanols
- Strawberries (200g, about 1 grain): about 90mg of flavanols
- Blueberries (150g, approx. 1 grain): Approximately 80mg flavanols
- Pinto beans (40g, 2 tablespoons dry): Approximately 70mg flavanols
Can dietary guidelines be improved?
The results also raise the question of whether current nutritional recommendations may be better able to help people consume beneficial compounds such as flavanols.
Professor Gunter Kuhnle, from the University of Reading, said: “Five meals a day is the right message, but which five meals we eat may need to be thought through more carefully. Different fruits and vegetables have very different nutritional benefits beyond vitamins and minerals, and as we learn more about these compounds there is a real opportunity to make dietary guidance more specific and effective. This study is a step towards understanding what that actually looks like.”
Researchers say the findings highlight an important point. Eating lots of fruits and vegetables is still the cornerstone of a healthy diet, but the type of produce you choose can have a big impact on your heart health benefits.
