l It's time to amend that "apple a day" aphorism: Tomatoes and cranberries keep the doctor away, too. New research shows that incorporating these three red, round fruits into your daily diet can reduce your risk of heart disease by as much as 40 percent. Indeed, diet can have a tremendous impact on heart health — and should be the first line of defense when treating high cholesterol or high blood pressure, two of the biggest risk factors for heart disease.

"A heart-healthy diet is always the first step," says Michael Blaha, M.D., director of clinical research for the Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease. "In some patients we can see a dramatic improvement in cholesterol from diet alone." Fortunately, these antioxidant-rich fruits are as tasty as they are healthy.

Tomatoes

A new study by Tufts University scientists in Boston showed that eating lycopene-rich foodssuch as tomatoes more than five times a week over an 11-year period reduced coronary disease risk by 26 percent. Lycopene is an antioxidant compound that gives tomatoes and certain other fruits and vegetables their color. It's best to eat tomatoes cooked, though. "The heating process allows lycopene to be better absorbed," says Gerard E. Mullin, M.D., of Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.