Fruits are delicious and packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, making them beneficial for health. This article highlights four superfruits—blueberries, cherries, mulberries, and raspberries — that are particularly effective for anti-aging and heart health, reducing the risk of heart disease. Additionally, we’ll explore their various health benefits and the best ways to consume them.
4 superfruits for heart health
Heart-healthy superfruit #1: Blueberries
Blueberries are highly nutritious and can help prevent cardiovascular disease. Studies have shown that blueberries have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, beneficial for vascular and blood sugar regulation. Consuming a third of a cup of blueberries daily can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and mortality.
Moreover, blueberries offer health benefits for other parts of the body:
- Eye protection and fatigue relief: Blueberries are rich in anthocyanins, making them exceptional among fruits. Anthocyanins are potent antioxidants that protect the retina, improve vision, relieve eye fatigue, and prevent diseases like glaucoma.
- Kidney health and anti-aging: The dark blue color of blueberries is associated with kidney health in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), believed to slow aging and strengthen the body. Their strong antioxidant capacity can combat free radical damage, maintaining healthy skin and hair.
- Digestive health and bowel movement aid: Besides being consumed fresh, blueberries can be eaten dried or baked into things like muffins, cakes, and other snacks and desserts. Additionally, adding blueberries to unsweetened yogurt can promote intestinal movement and aid bowel movements, thanks to the probiotics in yogurt and the pectin in blueberries.
Cleaning blueberries: They have a protective waxy coating to prevent moisture loss, which doesn’t need to be removed during washing. Soak the blueberries in cold water and then rinse them under running water.
Heart-healthy superfruit #2: Cherries
Cherries, known as “the heart’s aspirin,” can help keep blood vessels in the heart open and protect heart health. Cherries are rich in bioactive components like anthocyanins, quercetin, potassium, fiber, vitamin C, carotenoids, and melatonin, potentially preventing cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, inflammatory diseases, and Alzheimer’s.
Cherries have powerful effects:
- Blood enrichment and improved complexion: Rich in minerals like iron, calcium, and potassium, cherries can enhance bone health, boost blood circulation, and improve gastrointestinal function. Traditional Chinese Medicine texts mention that eating cherries can improve one’s complexion, making the skin rosy and vibrant.
- Reduced risk of gout and arthritis improvement: The anthocyanins in cherries have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, effectively preventing and treating arthritis and gout. Consuming cherries can help reduce swelling and pain in arthritis-affected joints and lower uric acid levels, decreasing the likelihood of gout attacks.
- Brain health and memory boost: Cherries can promote brain health and improve memory. A 12-week randomized controlled trial found that elderly people with mild to moderate cognitive impairment improved verbal fluency and short-term and long-term memory after drinking 200 ml of cherry juice daily.
In TCM, cherries are valued for their medicinal properties, and the entire plant can be used for medicinal purposes. Eating cherries can boost your energy and prevent colds if you are anemic or weak. The cherry plant’s leaves, branches, and rootscan warm the stomach, stop bleeding, and detoxify.
Heart-healthy superfruit #3: Mulberries
Mulberries can lower blood lipids and protect the cardiovascular system. Studies have shown that feeding dried mulberries to mice with hyperlipidemia for three months improved arterial and cardiac wall thickening, reduced aortic collagen fiber deposition, and decreased hepatic lipid accumulation. These results suggest that dried mulberries can improve vascular fibrosis and cardiac hypertrophy, prevent myocardial infarction, and avoid weight gain, visceral fat, and liver fat accumulation caused by a high-fat diet.
- Kidney nourishment and blood enrichment, lustrous hair, and bright eyes: Mulberries were once a supplement used by ancient Chinese emperors. Because they resemble kidneys, Traditional Chinese Medicine also uses mulberries to treat kidney-related diseases. Mulberries can nourish the liver and kidneys and enrich the blood, leading to lustrous hair and bright eyes. Regular consumption by women can lead to smoother skin, maintaining a rosy complexion and vitality even during menstruation.
- Longevity and anti-aging: An ancient dietary therapy involving mulberries is “Fu Sang Wan.” It consists of mulberries or mulberry leaves mixed with sesame and honey to form balls, similar to modern anti-aging foods. They are sweet and delicious, offering calcium supplementation, antioxidant properties, and anti-aging benefits.
Two ways to use mulberry jam: If you can’t find “Fu Sang Wan” in herbal stores, you can spread mulberry jam with black sesame powder on toast for breakfast. Alternatively, you can add a spoonful or two of mulberry jam to a cup of hot black tea to make “mulberry black tea.”
Heart-healthy superfruit #4: Raspberries
The risk of cardiovascular disease is associated with various factors. Research has found that consuming raspberries can significantly reduce cardiovascular disease risk factors, such as LDL cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, body mass index (BMI), and glycated hemoglobin, thus helping to prevent cardiovascular disease.
Raspberries offer the following benefits:
- Improved bladder control: Ancient Chinese medical texts state that raspberries benefit the kidneys and can improve bladder control, reducing the frequency of urination at night and leading to more restful sleep.
- Diabetes improvement: Raspberries can also be used in the TCM prescription “Bai Fu Ling Wan,” which treats symptoms like excessive urination, thinning legs, and weakness in the waist and legs, similar to some diabetes symptoms. Therefore, people with diabetes having similar symptoms can also benefit from “Bai Fu Ling Wan.”
- Relief from greasiness: Raspberries can be eaten fresh or thawed from frozen. They can also be added to yogurt or oatmeal for a sweet and sour taste. Slightly sour raspberry jam can be paired with fried meat slices to neutralize the greasiness and enhance the flavor.
While these four fruits offer numerous health benefits, especially for heart health, consuming them in moderation is essential for a balanced diet and optimal health.
Translated by Katy Liu
