Can your choice of fruit, tea, or even chocolate really impact how long you live?
According to a groundbreaking study published in Nature Food in June 2025, the answer is yes – and the key lies not only in how much of these foods you eat, but how varied your choices are.
Researchers from Queen's University Belfast, Edith Cowan University in Perth, and the Medical University of Vienna followed over 120,000 participants for more than a decade. Their discovery: a diverse intake of flavonoid-rich foods – such as tea, berries, apples, and dark chocolate – is linked to a significantly lower risk of chronic disease and premature death.
What Are Flavonoids – And Why Should You Care?
Flavonoids are powerful plant-based bioactive molecules with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and metabolically protective properties. They are found in:
- tea (especially green and black),
- blueberries, strawberries, oranges,
- apples and grapes,
- dark chocolate,
- red wine (in moderation!).
More Color – More Benefits
People who consumed about 500 mg of flavonoids per day (e.g. two cups of tea) had:
- a 16% lower risk of death,
- about a 10% lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, and lung disease.
However, those who consumed a greater variety of flavonoids achieved even better results – even though their total intake was the same. This means that drinking tea alone is not enough – it's important to consume different types of flavonoids from various sources.
Each Flavonoid Has Its Own Function
Scientists emphasize that different types of flavonoids act in different ways:
- some improve blood pressure,
- others lower cholesterol,
- some reduce inflammation or support brain function.
That’s why a colorful diet is recommended – the more colorful, the healthier.
The First Guidelines on Flavonoids
This research contributed to the development of the first nutritional recommendations for flavonoids, which advise not only increasing intake but also increasing diversity.
Simple changes like adding berries, one apple a day, and a cup of green tea can have a powerful cumulative effect on health.
Source: Benjamin H. Parmenter, Alysha S. Thompson, Nicola P. Bondonno, Amy Jennings, Kevin Murray, Aurora Perez-Cornago, Jonathan M. Hodgson, Anna Tresserra-Rimbau, Tilman Kühn, Aedín Cassidy. High diversity of dietary flavonoid intake is associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality and major chronic diseases. Nature Food, 2025; DOI: 10.1038/s43016-025-01176-1
The Health Formula and Antioxidants
THE HEALTH FORMULA is not a diet – it is a science-based protocol that uses genetic information, hormonal parameters, and individual needs to shape optimal nutrition and lifestyle. When we understand how our body reacts to specific bioactive molecules, we can choose foods that not only nourish us – but also heal us.
