Everyone from The Beatles ("Strawberry Fields Forever") to Tiny Tim ("Strawberry Tea") has sung the praises of the delicious red fruit. And now researchers from the Illinois Institute of Technology are singing its praises too.

At the Nutrition 2024 conference, they shared a controlled, randomized study funded by the California Strawberry Commission that looked at the impact that four weeks of daily consumption of eight strawberries (1 cup) had on cardiovascular health.

Thirty-six women and 32 men ages 20 to 62 who were overweight participated. Those who ate a cup of strawberries a day had far healthier blood flow and blood pressure (measured by flow-mediated dilation of the artery in their arm) than those who didn't get a daily dose.

In fact, their risk of cardiovascular problems such as heart attack and stroke was calculated to be eight times less than those in the control group.

What is it about strawberries that makes them so heart-friendly?

A cup a day provides more than the recommended daily value of vitamin C and a good dose of potassium, iron, calcium, and magnesium. Those nutrients reduce inflammation and support healthy heart functions.

And a new study indicates that CoQ10, also found in strawberries, can improve how the heart pumps blood in people with cardiovascular disease.

Other studies have found that CoQ10 works as a polyphenol that protects cells from damage and helps prevent blood clots.