Tea, not just portions: study finds five-a-day often misses heart-healthy flavanols
A large UK-US biomarker study (n≈30,000) shows that reaching 500 mg of daily flavanols—beneficial for heart health—often requires more than simply eating five portions of fruit/veg: many people fall short, and in the UK tea is a major flavanol source, while flavanol content varies widely between foods and between countries, suggesting dietary guidance should prioritize foods with higher bioactive content rather than counting portions alone.
