Emma McGowan NatureCity author & contributor

Something as simple as adding a few more berries rich in antioxidants to your diet could reduce your risk of heart attack by 33%. That’s the finding of a recent study conducted at Harvard University, which examined the association between strawberry and blueberry consumption and heart attack occurrence in women.

The study included 93,600 women between the ages of 25 and 42 who took part in the Nurses’ Health Study II. The researchers collected dietary data every four years over the course of the 18 year trial period.

During that time, 405 women suffered from heart attacks. The researchers analyzed the data and found that the women who ate the most blueberries and strawberries had a one-third lower risk of heart attack compared to women who only ate them once a month or less.

The researchers believe that the heart health benefits are due to the high anthocyanin content of these berries They note, however, that more research needs to be conducted before specific recommendations can be made about fruits and heart health.

The study was published on January 15, 2013, in the journal Circulation.

Anthocyanins are powerful antioxidants known as polyphenols. They can be found in red/purplish fruits and vegetables such as berries, purple cabbage, beets and purple grapes. They help protect the body from damage by free radicals, which may help reduce the risk of some chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer.

Strawberries and blueberries can easily be incorporated into your daily diet. Try adding them to cereal, yogurt, or pancakes in the morning. They also make a great midday snack or a healthy alternative to ice cream or cakes for dessert.

Emma McGowan NatureCity author & contributor

A recent study suggests that consuming cherries or cherry extract may reduce gout flare ups by 35%.

Additionally, consuming cherries in combination with taking allopurinol may reduce flare ups by up to 75%. Allopurinol is a drug that lowers uric acid levels and is commonly used to treat gout.

Participants in the study included 633 individuals with gout and an average age of 54. 78% of them were male. The researchers notated when their gout started, what risk factors they had, what medications they were taking, whether or not they consumed cherries in any form and how long they had done so.

They found that 35% ate fresh cherries, 2% took cherry extract, and 5% consumed both.

Over the course of one year, 1,247 gout attacks were recorded, 92% occurring in the joint at the base of the big toe. The researchers compared cherry consumption with gout attack incidence.

They found that when participants consumed half a cup of cherries daily over a two day period, flare ups were reduced by 35%. Participants who consumed the cherries and took allopurinol saw flare ups reduced by 75%.

The study was published in the December 2012 issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism. It was conducted by researchers at the Boston University School of Medicine and the University of Sydney.

Previous studies have linked cherries to anti-inflammatory benefits, reduced pain from arthritis and reduced risk of heart disease.

Scott Greenberg, NatureCity author & contributor

An extensive analysis suggests that having higher circulating levels of carotenoids in your blood stream may significantly reduce the risk of breast cancer.

The researchers looked at eight studies that focused on the association between breast cancer and carotenoid levels. In total, there were 3,055 participants and 3,956 control cases. They found that women with higher levels of alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin, lycopene, and total carotenoids were less likely to develop breast cancer than those with lower levels.

Researchers for this study were based at Brigham & Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Their results were published online ahead of print on December 6, 2012, in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Carotenoids are the phytochemicals that provide the bright red, orange or yellow color to many fruits and vegetables. They serve as antioxidants and can be a good source of vitamin A. They have been shown in previous research to protect against cardiovascular disease, macular eye disease and some cancers.

If you want to increase your carotenoid intake, make sure that your meals contain a variety of fruits and vegetables of all colors. The beneficial actions of carotenoids are optimal when a variety of carotenoids are consumed together.

Emma McGowan NatureCity author & contributor

An extensive study conducted by Chinese researchers suggests that daily consumption of green tea could reduce the risk of all digestive system cancers by up to 27%.

Participants in the study included 75,000 middle aged Chinese women who participated in the Shanghai Women’s Health Study. The researchers conducted an initial interview to determine how much and what types of tea the women drank. The majority of the women reported that they drank green tea.

The women who drank green tea at least three times a week for six months or more showed a 17% lower risk of developing all types of digestive system cancers. For those who drank two to three cups daily for six months, a 21% reduced risk was noted.

Women who drank green tea regularly for 20 years or more saw the highest reduction in risk at 27%. Additionally, when the researchers looked only at colorectal cancer, this group of women had a 29% reduced risk.

The study was conducted by researchers at the Vanderbilt Epidemiology Center and was published online ahead of print on November 1, 2012, in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Green tea has been linked in previous studies with a wide range of health benefits. These benefits are usually attributed to the high level of powerful antioxidants found in green tea called polyphenols, which have been shown to promote weight loss, improve heart health, aid in digestion and decrease the risk of neurodegenerative diseases.

Sarah McGowan-Freije, NatureCity author & contributor

Echinacea has been used as a folk remedy for years to fight the common cold. A recent study suggests that taking Echinacea may shorten the length of colds by 26%, as well as reduce the number of colds and the length of time people suffer from the flu.

The study included 717 participants who consumed either 25 drops of Echinacea or a placebo three times a day for four months. They were instructed to hold the placebo or supplement in their mouths with water for 10 seconds before swallowing.

At the conclusion of the study, the researchers had recorded 149 incidences of illness in the Echinacea group and 188 in the placebo group, a number that they considered to be “borderline significant.” More significant, however, was the fact that the number of days individuals suffered from flu was cut from 850 to 672 and recurring infections dropped 59%.

The study was conducted by researchers at Cardiff University in the UK and published online ahead of print on September 16, 2012, in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

While most commonly used to relieve cold symptoms, Echinacea has been promoted as a way to boost the immune system, relieve pain and reduce inflammation. The best way to increase your Echinacea intake is to take a daily, high quality supplement.

Emma McGowan NatureCity author & contributor

Fruit and vegetables are an important part of a balanced diet. And according to a recent study, eating 7 servings of fruit and vegetables a day may not only make you healthier, it might also make you happier.

The researchers examined the food consumption of 80,000 people and found that 7 servings a day was the optimal amount of fruits and vegetables for the highest level of mental wellbeing. They suggested that governments might want to change their recommendations to reflect these findings.

The study was a joint effort between researchers at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, University of Warwick in Germany, and Warwick Medical School in the UK. It was published in the journal Social Indicators Research in October 2012.

Beyond mental health, there are a myriad of reasons for eating more fruits and vegetables, which are packed with all kinds of powerful antioxidants. The antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables have been linked with healthier looking skin, heart health benefits and healthier levels of cholesterol. This is often attributed to antioxidants and their ability to fight free radicals in the body.

Adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet can be as simple as grabbing an apple as a snack or designating one day a week your vegetarian day. All it takes is being a little conscious about making sure you have a fruit or vegetable at every meal.

Scott Greenberg, NatureCity author & contributor

A recent study from Finland suggests that eating fruits and vegetables – in particular tomatoes, which are rich in the compound lycopene – may cut the risk of stroke by up to 55%.

Participants in the study included 1,031 men between the ages of 46 and 65. The researchers followed the men’s health over the course of 12 years. Within that time period, 67 men suffered from strokes.

When the researchers looked specifically at the association between blood levels of lycopene and stroke, they found that, for the men with the lowest levels of lycopene, 25 out of 258 had strokes. In the group with the highest levels of lycopene, 11 out of 259 had strokes.

The study was conducted by researchers at the University of Eastern Finland, Lapland Central Hospital, and the University Hospital of Kuopio. It was published on October 9, 2012, in the journal Neurology.

Previous studies have shown that lycopene may have a positive effect on heart health, bone health, and skin health.

If you want to increase lycopene levels you may want to consider taking a lycopene supplement, or increasing your consumption of red-pigmented foods such as tomatoes, peppers and papayas.

Certain diets, such as the Mediterranean diet, are also high in lycopene. The Mediterranean diet is rich in vegetables, legumes, fruits, whole grains, and healthy oils, such as those found in fish, olives, and nuts.

Emma McGowan NatureCity author & contributor

A study presented at the American Heart Association’s High Blood Pressure Research 2012 Scientific Sessions suggests that drinking low-calorie cranberry juice may help lower blood pressure.

Participants included 56 adults who were given either low-calorie cranberry juice or a placebo for eight weeks. At the end of the study, the researchers noted an average drop in blood pressure from 121/73 to 118/70 in the juice group, while no change was observed in the placebo group.

The study was conducted by researchers at the US Department of Agriculture.

Cranberries have anti-microbial properties and anti-carcinogenic properties and are packed with beneficial vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber and antioxidants. They have been shown to provide a lengthy list of health benefits including improved urological health, protection against heart disease, cancer and inflammatory diseases. They also have been linked with lower plaque formation on teeth and improved cholesterol levels.

Cranberries have a sour taste, so people usually drink cranberry juice with added sugar. However the added sugar can be detrimental to overall health, so it is best to stick with a low-calorie version.

Scott Greenberg, NatureCity author & contributor

Eating up to seven servings daily of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables has been linked in a new study with a 20% lower risk for women of suffering from a heart attack.

The study included 32,561 women between the ages of 49 and 83. The researchers followed the women from September 1997 to December 2007.

The participants completed a food frequency questionnaire at the end of every year. This was used to determine the antioxidant capacity of each participant’s diet.

The researchers determined that women in the lowest antioxidant category (2.4 servings of fruits and vegetables per day) were 20% more like to suffer from a heart attack than those in the highest category (up to 7 servings daily).

The study was conducted at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden. It was published in the October 2012 issue of The American Journal of Medicine.

The antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables have been linked with healthier looking skin, heart health benefits and healthier levels of cholesterol. This is often attributed to the anti-inflammatory properties of antioxidants and their ability to fight free radicals in the body.

Adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet can be as simple as grabbing an apple as a snack or designating one day a week your vegetarian day. All it takes is being a little conscious about making sure you have a fruit or vegetable at every meal.

Scott Greenberg, NatureCity author & contributor

High blood pressure and high cholesterol can lead to serious heart problems. Some people choose to take prescription drugs to lower both, but recent research suggests that including sesame and rice bran oil in your diet may work as well as a common prescription.

Three hundred participants with an average age of 57 with mild to moderately high blood pressure participated in this 60 day study. They received one of three daily interventions:

1. nifedipine (calcium-channel blocker)

2. one ounce of a sesame/rice bran oil blend

3. nifedipine and the oil blend

At the end of the two month period, there were significant changes in blood pressure levels. For diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number), the calcium blocker group showed a 12 point drop, the oil group showed an 11 point drop, and the group taking both showed a 24 point drop. For systolic blood pressure (the top number), the calcium blocker group showed a 16 point drop, the oil group showed a 14 point drop, and the group taking both showed a 36 point drop.

Researchers also noted a 26% drop in LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels and a 9.5% increase in HDL (“good”) cholesterol in the oil group. The group taking both the calcium blocker and the oils had a 27% drop in LDL cholesterol and a 10.9% increase in HDL cholesterol. The calcium blocker group showed no changes.

The researchers believe these heart health benefits are due to the antioxidants and healthier fatty acids found in the oils.

The study was conducted at Adani Wilmar Limited in India. It was presented at the American Heart Association’s High Blood Pressure Research 2012 Scientific Sessions in September, 2012.

Previous studies have linked sesame oil with lower blood sugar and healthier looking skin. Bran oil has been associated with easing hot flashes in menopausal women and is also found in some skin creams.