This summer we revel in berries. Why? First and foremost because they are so good of course! But also because they contain anthocyanins – powerful antioxidants that give a lot of berries their beautiful color.

For example blueberries, strawberries and black currants contain a wonderful dye called anthocyanin, a type of antioxidant that has the ability to protect our cells from oxidative stress. International clinical research shows that anthocyanins have many health-promoting properties.

In addition, it seems to be able to provide protection against heart attack! In 2013, a study funded by the US and UK health authorities was published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. A total of 94,000 women were included in the study, which was conducted by researchers at Harvard University and East Anglia in Great Britain.

What the researchers wanted to investigate was the connection between dietary habits and the risk of heart attack in relatively young healthy women. When the study began, the women were between the ages of 25 and 42 and had a basically healthy state of health. The study began as early as 1989, and for 18 years the women were interviewed about their eating habits. A total of 405 women suffered heart attacks and there seemed to be a connection with the diet:

Those who ate berries more than three times a week were as much as 32 percent less likely to suffer a heart attack, compared with women who ate a maximum of once a month. The researchers then also compensated for the carnivores otherwise eating a slightly healthier diet. The researchers believe that the secret in the berries is anthocyanins that give color to blue and red berries and which are not destroyed when heated.

Sorry but what did we just write, anthocyanins are not destroyed by heating? Exactly! Black currants are generally something that you eat raw, but feel free to make juice and compote in other words.