Consuming fresh fruit, such as apples and oranges, each day appears to reduce the risk of dying from either a heart attack or stroke by about one-third. Investigators collected data on more than 500,000 adults between 2004 and 2009 and found that fewer than one-in-five ate fruit on a daily basis. However, the researchers found that those who ate about a half cup of fruit a day had a significantly lower risk for developing cardiovascular disease. Lead researcher Dr. Liming Li reports that participants who ate fruit the most often had lower blood pressure and blood sugar compared to those who ate less fruit, which could explain the reduced risk for heart attacks and stroke.
New England Journal of Medicine, April 2016