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Put down the salad and broccoli – chocolate and red wine now count towards your five a dayScientists reckon that tasty treats like chocolate and red wine could be part of your five-a-day as
they're rich in flavonoids, chemicals which can lower blood pressure and make you live longerCommentsNewsIsobel Dickinson14:54, 03 Jun 2025Red wine and chocolate could be good for you(Image:
Getty Images/Image Source) Forget the limp lettuce - boffins have said tasty treats like chocolate and red wine can be counted as part of your five-a-day.
Studies have revealed a diet rich in chemicals called flavonoids can lower blood pressure and help you live longer.
As well as foods including tea, apples, oranges and berries - findings showed grapes, red wine and dark chocolate were also on the list.
Experts at Queen’s University Belfast analysed the diet of 125,000 Brits enrolled in the UK Biobank.
They found those who ate a lot of flavonoids had a 20% lower risk of death after a ten year period.
Dark chocolate is rich in flavonoids(Image: Getty Images)Article continues below Prof Aedín Cassidy, study author and chair in nutrition and preventive medicine at Queen’s University
Belfast, said: “A flavonoid ‘five-a-day’ has the potential to reduce mortality.
“The data suggest that there is a benefit to consuming a wide range of flavonoids beyond that of simply consuming a high quantity as different flavonoids work in different ways, some improve
blood pressure, others help with cholesterol levels and decrease inflammation.
“So having a variety of flavonoid-rich foods is important – eg one apple, a handful of berries, two cups of tea, and one orange.
“Other rich sources are onions, red wine, grapes, plums, and red cabbage.”
People who hit their flavonoid five-a-day were also found to be 10% less at risk of cardiovascular disease.
The cancer risk was also 20% lower for people eating five-a-dayer flavonoids, compared to those who ate just one, the study found.
The data showed the risk of respiratory conditions was 8% lower and there was no link for neurodegenerative conditions.
The researchers added in the study, published in Nature Food: “Our findings highlight the importance of consuming a diverse range of flavonoids for the management of chronic disease risk,
which, from a public health perspective, provides support for consuming a variety of flavonoid-rich foods such as green and/or black tea, berries, apples, oranges and grapes.
“The collective actions of multiple flavonoids appear to lead to greater health protection compared with single subclasses or compounds.
Article continues below “We found that consuming both a higher quantity and wider diversity of dietary flavonoids appears better for longer-term health than higher intakes of either
component alone.”