Eating strawberries may keep the heart healthy by lowering blood vessel inflammation, a U.S researcher said.

Howard Sesso and colleagues at the Harvard Medical School found women who reported eating the most strawberries were 14 percent less likely to have elevated levels of C-reactive protein, known as CRP -- a biomarker for inflammation in the blood vessels -- linked to atherosclerosis and a higher risk of cardiovascular disease

"Higher intakes of fruits and vegetables have consistently been associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease," Sesso said in a statement. "This is the first study to show that strawberries may help reduce the likelihood of having elevated CRP levels in the blood. While more research is needed, this study helps provide more evidence that eating fruits and vegetables will help reduce risk for cardiovascular disease."

The researchers also found the women with higher strawberry intakes were more likely to lead a heart-healthy lifestyle. On average, women in the highest strawberry intake group ate about twice as many servings of fruits and vegetables every day as did women in the lowest intake group.

The findings were originally published the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.