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Nutrients
Volume 17
Issue 21
10.3390/nu17213417
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Review

Natural Sweetness and Bioactivity: The Cardiovascular Promise of Fruits

by
Aleksandra Fałczyńska
1,
Ewa Miller-Kasprzak
1,*,
Dawid Rosiejka
1,
Joanna Michałowska
1,
Wiktoria Błażejewska
1,
Adela Bogdańska
2 and
Paweł Bogdański
1
1
Department of Obesity Treatment, Metabolic Disorders and Clinical Dietetics, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 61-701 Poznan, Poland
2
Medical Education, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-367 Wroclaw, Poland
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Nutrients 2025, 17(21), 3417; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17213417
Submission received: 4 October 2025 / Revised: 26 October 2025 / Accepted: 28 October 2025 / Published: 30 October 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Benefits of Fruit Intake on Cardiovascular Health)
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Abstract

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain the leading cause of mortality worldwide. Their prevalence is expected to rise with demographic shifts and increasing obesity rates. Excessive sugar consumption, especially from added sugars and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), is a major modifiable risk factor of CVDs. It contributes to obesity, metabolic disorders, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. High-sugar diets affect metabolic and cardiovascular health. They also contribute to neurobehavioral dysfunction by influencing the brain’s reward pathways, promoting hedonic eating, and reinforcing dependence on sweet taste. Fruits, a natural source of sweet-tasting compounds, are widely considered healthier than processed sweets. Epidemiological evidence shows a protective link between fruit consumption and lower risk of acute cardiovascular events like stroke and coronary heart disease. This benefit is largely due to bioactive compounds in fruits, such as fiber, polyphenols, and micronutrients. Based on current evidence, fruits can satisfy sweet cravings. In this paper, we will discuss the potential of fruits as an alternative to added sugars, emphasizing their beneficial effects on metabolic and cardiovascular health.
Keywords: sugar; fruits; cardiovascular health; plant bioactive compounds sugar; fruits; cardiovascular health; plant bioactive compounds
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MDPI and ACS Style

Fałczyńska, A.; Miller-Kasprzak, E.; Rosiejka, D.; Michałowska, J.; Błażejewska, W.; Bogdańska, A.; Bogdański, P. Natural Sweetness and Bioactivity: The Cardiovascular Promise of Fruits. Nutrients 2025, 17, 3417. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17213417

AMA Style

Fałczyńska A, Miller-Kasprzak E, Rosiejka D, Michałowska J, Błażejewska W, Bogdańska A, Bogdański P. Natural Sweetness and Bioactivity: The Cardiovascular Promise of Fruits. Nutrients. 2025; 17(21):3417. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17213417

Chicago/Turabian Style

Fałczyńska, Aleksandra, Ewa Miller-Kasprzak, Dawid Rosiejka, Joanna Michałowska, Wiktoria Błażejewska, Adela Bogdańska, and Paweł Bogdański. 2025. "Natural Sweetness and Bioactivity: The Cardiovascular Promise of Fruits" Nutrients 17, no. 21: 3417. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17213417

APA Style

Fałczyńska, A., Miller-Kasprzak, E., Rosiejka, D., Michałowska, J., Błażejewska, W., Bogdańska, A., & Bogdański, P. (2025). Natural Sweetness and Bioactivity: The Cardiovascular Promise of Fruits. Nutrients, 17(21), 3417. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17213417

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