London: Scientists have created what they claim is a fruit cocktail with an ideal blend of 13 different juices that can lower one`s risk of heart disease and stroke.
The final ingredient of the smoothie is aronia, or chokeberry, an American blackberry once described as the"healthiest berry in the world", say the French scientists.
Blends of 13 different purees and juices were analysed in a laboratory for their effects on pig arteries. But, the finished recipe was selected after tests by 80 volunteers, the `Daily Mail` reported.
In tests, heart artery walls relaxed when they were exposed to the fruit juice cocktail.
The scientists, from the University of Strasbourg, say in a human, this would boost the flow of blood to the heart and ensure it got a healthy balance of nutrients and oxygen.
The team has also measured the antioxidant ability of different recipes to neutralise harmful molecules in the body that can damage DNA and cells.
The study found that some polyphenols were more potent than others -- and that their ability to mop up harmful "free radicals" which can damage DNA and cells was more important than the amount of polyphenols in each fruit.
Tracy Parker, of the British Heart Foundation, said the findings, published in the the Royal Society of Chemistry journal `Food and Function`, add more weight to evidence that eating fruit and vegetables reduces risk for heart disease.
"However, we still don`t fully understand why, or whether certain fruits and vegetables are better than others. Even this study acknowledges that scientists can`t yet explain any link," she said.