NEW YORK (Reuters Health) — Foods rich in flavonoids — from apples and pears to dark chocolate and red wine — may help shield postmenopausal women from coronary heart disease, cardiovascular disease and stroke, a new study shows.Flavonoids are antioxidant compounds, found in many plant-based foods, and have been hypothesised to protect the heart by reducing levels of low-density lipoprotein or “bad” cholesterol and reducing inflammation, Dr. Pamela J. Mink of Exponent, Inc., and colleagues note. But studies investigating heart health and flavonoid levels in the diet have had mixed results, they add in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

The researchers used three newly available databases from the US Department of Agriculture to determine the flavonoid contain of foods, the researchers analysed results of food questionnaires on diet from 34,489 postmenopausal women participating in the Iowa Women’s Health Study.

Specific foods also were linked to risk reductions in heart, blood vessel disease and mortality as well, including bran, which provided a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke; apples, pears, and red wine, which cut both cardiovascular and coronary heart disease risk; grapefruit, which cut coronary heart disease risk, and strawberries and chocolate, tied to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.