Study: Strawberries and blueberries can reduce the risk of heart disease in women

Study: Strawberries and blueberries can reduce the risk of heart disease in women According to a new research report, young women who eat strawberries or blueberries at least three times a week, compared with those who...

Research: Strawberries and blueberries can reduce the risk of heart disease in women. Young women who eat strawberries or blueberries at least three times a week are one-third less likely to suffer from myocardial infarction than their sisters who rarely eat the same berries, according to a new study. The benefits of eating berries such as strawberries or blueberries remained strong even after the researchers adjusted the study subjects, such as by age, blood pressure, family history of myocardial infarction, body mass index, exercise, smoking, and caffeine or alcohol intake. Researchers have found that anthocyanins, the chemicals that give blueberries and strawberries their jewel-like color, may have health benefits. Anthocyanins have the effect of dilating blood vessels and reducing the accumulation of atherosclerotic plaques. The latest report on the findings, "Nurse Health Study II," was published in Circulation, the American Heart Association's journal. The study analyzed the eating habits of about 93,600 women aged 25 to 42, who were surveyed every four years over an 18-year period. During the study period, 405 cases of myocardial infarction occurred. This prevalence is lower because of the younger age of these women. But study subjects who ate strawberries and blueberries three or more times a week were 32% less likely to suffer early myocardial infarction than those who ate less of these berries. Even among women who ate fewer strawberries and blueberries but also consumed more fruits and vegetables, they still had higher rates of early myocardial infarction. Eric Reiman, author of the above paper and professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health, points out that this simple dietary change may have a positive preventive effect. He and his collaborators speculate that if the health effects of berry consumption are measured and shown early in life, the benefits may also be shown later in life, such as when women get closer to the rate of myocardial infarction than men do in older age. The author's research focused on strawberries and blueberries, which are commonly consumed by Americans. But according to them, other berries such as raspberries may have similar effects.