Color me healthy - health matters - anthocyanins - Brief Article

When Mother Nature decided that strawberries should be red and blueberries blue, she was making them attractive for a good reason. Science is discovering that fruits and berries and their byproducts have such vivid colors because they contain anthocyanins, water-soluble pigments that are good for us.

Anthocyanins inhibit the absorption of cholesterol and help prevent heart disease, say researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture who are still discovering exactly how the pigments work and what other health benefits they may possess. Blackberries "have the highest antioxidant capacity of any fruit," Nutrition Science News reported in its December 2001 issue. Other antioxidant powerhouses include bilberry, cranberries, sweet cherries, hawthorne and raspberries.

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