Everytime I turn around I see a new healthiest foods list. On almost every list I see, the tiny blueberry is at or near the top of the healthy food chart. For such a tiny little fruit, blueberries pack a mighty punch.

Blueberries are high in antioxidants which are thought to help protect our bodies from free radicals. They’re high in vitamin E and C, among other important antioxidants. Check out some of the studies at the US Blueberry Council for more on the health benefits of the tiny blueberry.

Now is the time of year to stock up on blueberries. When blueberries are in season you can find them for a very reasonable price at local farmers markets. Or better yet grow your own. Blueberries grow on a shrub, and some varieties can be grown in containers.

Blueberries are great mixed with strawberries to make a healthy red white and blue dessert for the 4th of July. Get your antioxidants, and your dessert too!

Image via sxc.hu

When Dr. Melina Jampolis diet and fitness expert was ask the question, “are dried fruits equal to fresh fruit”? Her answer, she was not a big fan of dried fruit because they are higher in calories due to added sugar and fats. When fruit has been dried we also lose some of the nutrients.

When the water is taken out of the dried fruit we tend to think that the portions are smaller so therefore we can eat more. Actually when eating fresh fruit we can control the amounts we eat with greater ease.

With obesity at epidemic levels we need to lower our calories as often as possible, while making healthy choices.

A book that you may find interesting that will help you in finding tasty alternatives to fattening foods is “The Super Foods RX Diet.” In the book you will find healthy foods and facts such as blueberries as well as cranberries are also good for urinary tract health.

In choosing fruits you may keep in mind that all deeply colored berries, cherries and grapes are rich in disease fighting phytonutrients and antioxidants. These deeply colored fruits are a great way of eating heart healthy.

When the urge for something sweet hits you at work or for that late night snack be sure to reach for some fruit.

For more information click here Dr. Melina Jampolis.

Cherries have powerful antioxidants, known as anthocyanins that are thought to help fight inflammation and risk of heart disease.

A study conducted by Dr. Steven F. Bolling at the University of Michigan, shows that eating cherries may lower body fat, weight, cholesterol and inflammation.

Our bodies use inflammation to fight off infection and injury. A chronic state of inflammation can raise your risk of heart disease.  With 2 out of 3 people overweight or obese in the United States, especially around their middle, this problem is more prevalent.

In the study rats were feed a (Western Diet) which was high in fat and moderate carbohydrates.  The study added tart cherry powder to some of the rat’s diet, which caused them to maintain lean muscle mass as well as a decrease in fat and body weight.

Listed below you will find some important facts you need to know about cherries.

  Antioxidant Levels of Cherries

• Cherry Juice Concentrate: 12,800 ORAC units
• Dried Cherries:                    6,800 ORAC units
• Frozen Cherries:                  2,033 ORAC units
• Canned Cherries:                 1,700 ORAC units

Below you will find three interesting articles on cherry nutrition, cherry reports and cherry recipes.

Nutrition Facts, Cherry Report, Cherry Recipes

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner you may want to consider giving your love, a heart healthy treat.

For those of us with partner’s that have high blood pressure or heart problems that love their sweets, this article is a great find. Dark chocolate may be just what the answer you are looking for.

Do you know that cocoa is actually a fruit? We all know that fruits are good for us.

Researchers have found a link that shows cocoa and dark chocolate aid in the fight against cardiovascular disease.  The studies show reduced risk for blood clots, strokes, and heart attacks.

Food scientists at Cornell University found that there are twice the antioxidants in cocoa as were in red wine. The study also stated that there were three times more antioxidants in cocoa than found in green tea.  

Cocoa also appears to have anti-aging and anti-inflammatory properties. And cocoa is a good source of the minerals magnesium, sulphur, calcium, iron, zinc, copper, potassium, and manganese; plus some of the B Vitamins.

We have all heard at one time, the chocolate was not healthy. Now the findings are the the right kind of chocolate such as dark chocolate is actually heart healthy.

Studies have also proven that dark chocolate contains an amino acid Tryptophan, that aids in the fight against depression.

To find more on this interesting article click here. Dark Chocolate

I am not trying to push dark chocolate, but the fact is that we are all trying to improve our health. Our heart is the jewel of our body, when the heart is not functioning properly the whole body suffers.

While looking for ways to improve our heart health we all look for everything available on heart. Finding that a small amount of dark chocolate daily is good for the heart, is a great treat. Dark chocolates are fully loaded with many flavaniods. So by simply eating 1.4 ounces of dark chocolate daily we may improve our heart health.

A spot on CBS News, told of a research study that included 20 male smokers’ that were divided into two groups. The men were given 1.4 ounces of dark chocolate or white chocolate and then waited for two hours for the results.

The men that ate the dark chocolate found that the function of the endothelial cells were significantly improved these cells, line the artery walls. There was also a reduction of the platelets, which help to form blood clots. It has been proven that the disruption of these two cells leads to hardening of the arteries and heart disease.

The researchers also pointed out that two much of the dark chocolate could lead to other problems such as blood sugar levels, heart disease, body fat and body weight. They also pointed out that a small amount of dark chocolate daily may reduce the risk of coronary artery disease.

How could such a small amount have such a powerful effect? The authors say it’s probably because dark chocolate is so rich in antioxidants. “Dark chocolate has a much higher [antioxidant] content per gram than do other antioxidant-rich foods such as wine, tea, or berries,” they write. “Therefore, only a small daily treat of dark chocolate may substantially increase the amount of antioxidant intake” and improve cardiovascular health.

Below you will find three sites that have more research on the effects of dark chocolate on the heart.

CBS News, DarkChocolate,  Web MD

When we think of Christmas we think of cookies, candy and all of the treats that go with the holiday. There are studies that prove that you too, can enjoy Dark Chocolate treats.

If you have high blood pressure, or problems with your heart ask your health care provider about the benefits of Dark Chocolate.

On August 27th, a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association stated that a university in Germany has studied the effects of dark chocolate on lowering blood pressure.

The study shows that eating dark chocolate in moderation tends to lower mild cases of high blood pressure. In the study men and women ages 55-64 ate 100-grams of dark chocolate which contains 480 calories for a period of two weeks. At the end of the study there was a 2-point drop in the diastolic blood pressure and 5-points in the systolic pressure.

This in no way says that you can eat all of the dark chocolate you want. You will have to cut calories in other areas.

Dark chocolate contains (Antioxidants) that absorb free radicals and destructive molecules that are found in heart disease and high blood pressure patents.

Milk chocolate does not offer the same absorption effects as dark chocolate. The study shows that drinking milk while eating dark chocolate causes the same interference

http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/298/1/49

I just saw this ad (click for a larger image) for Welch’s American Concord Purple Grape Juice that claims it helps promote a healthy heart.

Concord grape juice flavonoids may promote healthy arteries.

Preliminary research suggests that flavonoids may function in ways other than as antioxidants in the body. First, some initial studies showed that the flavonoids in Concord grape juice promoted the flexibility of arteries, which is important to allow increased blood flow when needed, such as during exercise, shoveling snow, and climbing stairs. Second, additional preliminary studies suggest that these flavonoids may also help reduce the stickiness of the blood, which in turn helps maintain the free flow of blood through the arteries.

I bought some pomegranate juice the other day but just couldn’t bring myself to drink much. I’m a water kind of gal. What do you like to drink?

Antioxidants, such as beta-carotene and vitamin E, deactivate free radicals which are known to cause cell damage. Free radicals are also known to oxidize LDL cholesterol leading to the build-up of fat in arteries. Theoretically, preventing this oxidation should reduce the risk of heart disease. New evidence suggests that antioxidants may not play such a role after all.

Researchers have found that Probucol, a cholesterol-lowering drug that reduced the levels of LDL cholesterol but with adverse side effects, was not acting as an anti-oxidant as previously thought. It seems to exert its effect via a part of the drug molecule that is not well-understood.

This finding could explain why previous studies have not found vitamin E or other antioxidants to have a strong cardioprotective effect. And it also means that drugs closely related to Probucol (but without the same side effects) may turn out to be a good alternative for controlling cholesterol levels.

Medical News Today, April 14, 2006

*Graphic from the Graz University of Technology