Berries help prevent heart disease. A study that looked at 93,000 nurses over 18 years, found that the more deeply pigmented berries they consumed, the lower the risk of heart attacks.

The magic number for blueberries, strawberries and raspberries seems to be about three servings per week. Even those women who were overweight, smoked, or suffered from diabetes had a reduction in their risk of heart attacks, when deeply pigmented berries were a significant part of their diet. But as expected, thin women who exercise regularly did even better than their sedentary and overweight counterparts.

Once more we find that diet involving tasty and nutritious foods can lower your risk of heart attacks as much as some very expensive prescription drugs. I can’t help wondering what would happen if our country put as much time, effort and money into improving our diets and exercise as we do into heart-related prescriptions and medical care.