Raspberries, blueberries, strawberries good for your health

I love raspberries. I was pleased to return from my vacation and find my raspberry patch in full production.

It’s such a great time of year in the Pacific Northwest. Berries do well here, and we’ll have these healthy fruits well into fall.

Raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries contain phytonutrients – plant nutrients – that promote good health.

So, it’s a good time of year to eat these wonderful fruits.

Scientists are interested in the potential health benefits of flavonoids, how raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, and certain other phtytonutrients are classified, according to the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University.

Higher intakes of flavonoid-rich foods are associated with reductions in cardiovascular disease risk, the institute reports.

Flavonoids may protect against lung cancer by stopping the development of blood vessels that tumors need to grow and spread, according to an article in the June issue of Cancer.