PORTLAND (AP) — A new study says wild blueberries have the potential to improve heart health.

In their study, researchers from Germany’s University of Dusseldorf and the United Kingdom’s University of Reading and University of Northumbria concluded that wild blueberries may help blood vessels function better and remain healthier, thus relieving pressure on the heart.

Wild blueberries are native to North America and grow naturally in Maine and eastern Canada, the only places that grow them for commercial sale. Maine’s annual harvest averages around 86 million pounds a year.

The research study was published last month in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

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