01 NIGHT TO BURN YOUR HEART-ATTACK RISK WITH A MULLED CIDER
When speculating as to why our risk of heart problems is so much higher in the winter, scientists have no shortage of suspects – lack of sunlight; morning runs cut short by sudden downpours; an inexorable urge to fill your face with comfort food. But now the latest research has aimed fire at the most seasonal of culprits: the cold air itself.
A new study from cardiologists at Sweden’s Lund University has linked chilly outdoor temperatures to a spike in the number of heart attacks. Your body responds to the cold by constricting its blood vessels, which temporarily increases arterial blood pressure, and they speculate this extra strain could be to blame for our increased vulnerability.
But, should you find yourself shivering in a damp park on the eve of 5th November, you’d do well to remember (remember) this flavoursome advice: a hot glass of mulled cider is your best defence against the elements. Not only will it foil the cold weather’s health-harming plot, but studies conducted by the Institute of Food Research in Norwich found the antioxidant count in many British ciders matches that of red wine, with the nutrients more rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream than those in fruit. A heart-warming prescription, we’re sure you’ll agree.