Good news for wine lovers, new research shows a couple of cheeky glasses of red a week may actually be doing you a world of good.

New research by Queen’s University in Belfast and Kiel University in Germany has shown that foods rich in flavonoids – including berries, apples, pears, tea and red wine – have been linked to lower blood pressure.

Researchers found that three glasses of red wine a week was the optimal amount to see a reduction in blood pressure. Similar results could be achieved by eating 80g of berries a day.

About 900 adults from Germany took part in the study which focused on microbes in the gut and their ability to break down flavonoids, which in turn helped to decrease blood pressure

“Our gut microbiome plays a key role in metabolising flavonoids to enhance their cardioprotective effects, and this study provides evidence to suggest these blood pressure-lowering effects are achievable with simple changes to the daily diet,” the study’s lead investigator Professor Aedin Cassidy said.

Research has previously shown that flavonoids can improve heart health, but this is the first time they have been revealed to lower blood pressure as well.
The results of the study have been published in the American Heart Association journal ‘Hypertension’.

Related recipes: 100 easy recipes to pair with that bottle of red wine you’ve been saving