This article is from the WebMD Medical News Archive

5 Superfoods for Your Heart

By Carol Sorgen WebMD Medical News Reviewed By Louise Chang, MD You are what you eat. Add these 5 "superfoods" to your diet for a healthy heart.

Part 2: 5 Foods to Avoid

Can you eat your way to a healthy heart? You can certainly help your cause, say nutrition experts, by adding these five "superfoods" (or other members of their food group) to your diet on a regular basis. Here's a look at the five top choices that should be in your shopping cart.

Blueberries. This "powerhouse" tops the list, says Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD/LD, WebMD's director of nutrition.

And Lisa Hark, PhD, RD, says, "Blueberries are not only delicious but are also rich in antioxidants." Hark is co-author, with Darwin Deen, MD, of Nutrition for Life: The No-Nonsense, No-Fad Approach to Eating Well and Reaching Your Healthy Weight.

According to the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council, researchers believe that the antioxidants in blueberries work to reduce the buildup of "bad" LDL cholesterol in artery walls that contributes to cardiovascular disease and stroke. Studies conducted at the USDA Human Nutrition Center have found that blueberries rank No. 1 in antioxidant activity when compared with 40 other fresh fruits and vegetables. Antioxidants help neutralize harmful byproducts of metabolism called free radicals that can lead to cancer and other age-related diseases. Anthocyanin, the antioxidant that is thought to be responsible for this major health benefit, can also be found in blackberries, black raspberries, black currants, and red grapes.

Hark recommends a 1 cup serving of blueberries a day. Fresh, frozen, or dried, they can be added to cereal, muffins, or eaten by themselves.

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