5 Sweet Reasons to 'Heart' Berries, A Tasty Addition to Cardiovascular Cuisine

Summer's here, and the time is ripe for celebrating all the heart-healthy reasons to love berries!

1. Berries taste amazing (But you already knew that, didn't you?)

If nutritionists played favorites, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries would probably top their list.

"In terms of their 'pleasure factor,' berries are a stand-out," says Joanna Radziejowska, MS, RDN, LDN, Director of Metabolism & Nutrition Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. "They're incredibly good for you, and they taste great, so it's easy to include them in your daily diet."

Recipes: Happy Heart's 'Berry' Good Treats

2. Berries are powerful inflammation fighters!

Berries are packed with polyphenols. These are naturally occurring phytonutrients that give plants their rich red, blue, and purple hues. Phytonutrients are generally found in the skin of fruits, like apples or grapes, but berries are unusual. Because their phytonutrients are located in the "meat" of the fruit, you get phytonutrients in every juicy, delicious bite.

Researchers and physicians know that polyphenols have anti-inflammatory properties. Not that inflammation is always a bad thing. In fact, it's a normal, protective response of the body to harmful stimuli. If you cut yourself, your body goes into overdrive, sending white blood cells to fight infection, clotting factors to stop the bleeding, and chemicals that promote the formation of a scab. Without inflammation and our body's response to it, we'd bleed to death.

Chronic inflammation, on the other hand, can be extremely detrimental to your health. It can be caused by stress, lack of sleep, obesity, smoking, exposure to environmental toxins, and harmful chemicals called free radicals.

Free radicals roam your body, stealing electrons wherever they can, and generally wreaking havoc. They can alter a strand of DNA, trap LDL (bad) cholesterol inside an artery wall, or change the structure of a cell's membrane. And these tiny changes can have huge effects on your health.

Here's where berries — and their polyphenols — come in. Polyphenols have antioxidant properties: they neutralize the free radicals. This prevents inflammation, and in turn, stops the kinds of cellular damage that lead to a slew of diseases. Berries are rich in two types of polyphenols. Tannin gives them their tart taste. Anthocyanins give them their bright colors. Both strengthen your immune system and help your body fight disease.

Here's where berries — and their polyphenols — come in. Polyphenols have antioxidant properties: they neutralize the free radicals. This prevents inflammation, and in turn, stops the kinds of cellular damage that lead to a slew of diseases. Berries are rich in two types of polyphenols. Tannin gives them their tart taste. Anthocyanins give them their bright colors. Both strengthen your immune system and help your body fight disease.

Eating fruits and vegetables every day is a simple preventative measure anyone can take to help counter the effects of inflammation. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends 1.5 to 2.5 cups of fruit, and 2.5 to four cups of vegetables, every day. Berries are a great way to meet those recommendations. Not just because of their antioxidant properties, but because they taste so good.

3. Research shows berries boost cardiovascular health.

In 2010, a review of data from epidemiological, clinical and human intervention studies called berries an "essential fruit group in a heart-healthy diet."

Here's why. Consuming berries can:

• Reduce risk of heart attacks by 30 percent.
• Lower blood pressure by eight percent.
• Increase levels of "good" (HDL) cholesterol.

Researchers analyzed data from the Nurse's Health Study II (NHSII), an 18-year study of 93,600 women. They concluded that eating three or more servings of blueberries and strawberries every week may reduce the risk of heart attacks by a third.

A second study looked at women's health data from NHSII and NHSI, as well as men's data from the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (HPFS). This one found that the participants who reported the highest intake of anthocyanins (mostly from blueberries and strawberries) reduced their risk of hypertension by 8 percent.

A study of 72 middle-aged people found that eating slightly less than one cup of mixed berries a day for eight weeks boosted HDL levels and lowered blood pressure.

4. Berries aren't called 'superfoods' for nothing.

"Berries have a wide range of health benefits," says Radziejowska, proceeding to share an impressive list of surprising facts:

• Eating blueberries can prevent retinal damage. They're like sunscreen for your eyes.
• Strawberries play a major role in helping regulate blood sugar levels. This is great news for people with type 2 diabetes as well as for healthy people wanting to maintain healthy blood sugar levels.
• Raspberry ketones increase enzyme activity and increase heat production at the cellular level, which can help fight obesity.
• Animal studies suggest that the anthocyanins in berries may be highly effective at preventing cancer, but the verdict is still out.

5. You'll never run out of ways to enjoy berries.

Nothing tastes quite as good as a bowl of fresh picked berries. But you don't have to live next to a berry patch to enjoy all of their health benefits.

"Getting berries fresh, in season, is the best," says Radziejowska. "But frozen berries can be a more affordable option. And if organic is out of your price range, buy the conventional and wash them carefully."

Dried fruit and juices tend to be high in sugar, so she recommends eating the whole fruit raw, whenever possible, on salads, on oatmeal, or however you enjoy them.

"Just try to eat one and a half to two and a half cups a day," she adds.

That's one health recommendation that should be a pleasure to follow, especially while we're in the height of berry season.

Above content provided by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. For advice about your medical care, consult your doctor. Posted July 2015