May help lower cholesterol levels

A heart-healthy food is berries. It has been demonstrated that strawberries and black raspberries can help persons with metabolic syndrome or obesity lower their cholesterol. Adults with metabolic syndrome who drank a beverage made from freeze-dried strawberries every day for eight weeks had their LDL (bad) cholesterol fall by 11%.

Berries may also help guard against LDL cholesterol oxidation or damage, which is thought to be a significant risk factor for heart disease. Those who consumed 1.5 ounces (50 grams) of freeze-dried blueberries for 8 weeks saw a 28% decrease in their oxidized LDL levels in controlled research with obese participants.