The only downside of berries is the cost: My local supermarket was selling blueberries for $4.99 a pint the other day.

Ouch!

But while the price might sting, it’s worth a little pain in the wallet to get your hands on some — because ounce for ounce, berries are unmatched by anything else in the produce aisle.

I’m sure you already know about the famous antioxidants in berries, which can help protect you from the free radicals that are always trying to undermine your body.

And now, a new review of the research shows how berries can actually supercharge your brain and improve the way your neurons communicate. That adds up to better motor control and cognition and lower levels of dangerous inflammation — all from a handful of delicious blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, or cranberries.

Grapes and blueberries in particular have been proven in studies to help improve the brain function in seniors, especially those already suffering from some impairment, according to the review published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Of course, none of this is all that new or surprising (it’s a review of existing research, after all). An earlier study, for example, found that the polyphenolics in berries help the cells that clean up and recycle the toxic proteins that accumulate in the brain with age.

If that’s not a good enough reason to boost your berry intake, consider this: Another new study shows that blueberries — along with apples — can slash your risk of diabetes.

Researchers say people who eat two or more servings of blueberries a week — as well as those who eat five apples a week — have a 23 percent lower risk of type 2 diabetes.

This was based on a food frequency questionnaire, and we know they’re not exactly the most reliable form of research… so let’s not get too excited.

But plenty of other more reliable studies back the benefits of berries. And that’s especially true of blueberries, which are so rich in nutrients they’re a superfood in a class of their own.

For all that, $4.99 a pint is a bargain — because these little beauties are worth their weight in gold.

If you’re trying to quit smoking, you’ve got the right idea.

But if you think smokeless “e-cigarettes” are a safer alternative or a tool to help you quit, your right idea is on the wrong track.

Despite the marketing hype, these gimmicky battery-powered cigarettes haven’t proven to be any safer than regular smokes — and the latest research shows they come with plenty of risks of their own, including significant changes to the airways after just a few minutes of use.

Greek researchers asked 30 otherwise healthy smokers to try e-cigarettes, then watched to see what happened to the airways.

They didn’t have to wait long: After just five minutes, the airways showed signs of inflammation, and breathing tests revealed that the passages were already undergoing constriction.

The researchers say more studies need to be done to see what this means over the long term, but do yourself a favor: Don’t wait around to find out.

While short-term airway constriction and inflammation don’t add up to rock-solid proof that e-cigs lead to long-term lung damage, it’s not exactly an encouraging sign, is it?

E-cigs are relatively new on the scene, but they’ve been popping up everywhere. And if you haven’t seen one yet, you probably haven’t been in any malls lately, where kiosks for the devices are popping up quicker than Cinnabon stands.

The folks who work these kiosks will puff away on their e-cigs right there in the mall to show how “safe” it is — releasing not stinky tobacco smoke, but odorless water vapor.

They don’t even call it smoking — they call it “vaping.”

But while they claim the water vapor is a safer way to deliver nicotine, that doesn’t make them safe — and any implication to the contrary is pure puffery.

Tests have found diethylene glycol, a highly toxic chemical used in antifreeze, as well as known carcinogens called nitrosamines and other dangerous chemicals in some e-cig solutions.

Not exactly what I’d want to inhale.

In addition, the e-cig solution — often called “smoke juice” or “e-liquid” — is unregulated, of highly inconsistent quality and often made overseas, in places like China.

The only real safe alternative to smoking is not smoking. E-cigs might look different — but in reality, it’s just a whole lot of risk with a high-tech name.

If you really want to quit, do it the right way… and for more on that, keep reading.

When it comes to booze and heart health, wine usually gets all the attention — but it doesn’t quite deserve it.

Sure, wine is great for you — but it’s not the only healthy adult beverage in the bar.

In fact, you can get just about all the benefits of wine and then some from plain old beer — and the latest research confirms that a cold brew is every bit as good for your heart as a glass of red.

Researchers from Italy’s Fondazione di Ricerca e Cura say their survey of 200,000 people from around the world finds that regular beer drinkers have a 31 percent lower risk of heart disease than people who don’t drink booze at all.

That’s precisely the same decrease in heart risk enjoyed by wine drinkers — but it’s coming from hops and barley instead of grapes, according to the study in the European Journal of Epidemiology.

And that’s not all beer can do for you — not even close. Beer is also rich in potassium, magnesium, B vitamins and key antioxidants. It can help lower the inflammation linked to heart disease and other serious problems, and raise levels of HDL (“good”) cholesterol by as much as 12 percent.

Beer is also the single best source of dietary silicon around, which can help protect your bones as you age.

One study even found that dieters who drink beer can lose more weight — proving that the so-called “beer belly” is a myth. If you see a drinker with a big belly, take a look at what he’s eating — because that’s almost certainly the real reason for his keg-sized gut.

Of course, whether you drink wine or beer, you’ll only get the benefits if you make your habit a moderate one and cut yourself off before you drink too much (and if you have to wonder if you’ve had too much, you’ve probably reached that point).

Keep it to a glass or two a night, and you’ll enjoy both the benefits and the taste.

So go ahead — pop the cork or crack open a frosty one. It’s good for you.

Inflammation has gone from a condition you should worry about to a marketing buzzword used to sell everything from drugs to juice to cereal.

Well, at least they got it half right: You should worry about inflammation, and do what you can to bring your own levels down.

But forget the drugs, juice and cereal — because none of those things will ever beat the anti-inflammatory powers of plain old fish oil, and the latest research proves it again.

A new look at data on 702 patients who took part in one of 11 clinical trials finds that people who take fish oil supplements have lower blood levels of homocysteine, an inflammation marker linked to everything from heart risk to dementia to bone breaks, according to the study in Nutrition.

Other studies have also found that fish oil can put the hurtin’ on homocysteine.

One published in 2009 found that omega-3 supplements reduced levels of the inflammation marker by 22 percent in diabetics — versus just one percent among those who took a placebo.

And that’s really only the beginning of the benefits.

Studies have found that healthy omega-3 fatty acids can help protect your heart, eyes, and gums while raising levels of HDL (“good”) cholesterol and lowering levels of deadly triglycerides.

Fish oil can also help boost the mood and beat depression — especially among seniors.

The best sources of these omega-3s are fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, trout and herring — and the highest concentrations are often in the one part of the fish you’re probably not eating: the liver.

Researchers looked at a dozen fish commonly eaten in Spain and found all had livers rich in the long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids you need for good health.

And if you like anchovies, good news: The livers of these famously oily little fish had some of the highest omega-3 levels of all.

But why stick to the liver when you can eat anchovies whole?

OK, I know that’s not for everyone — but if you don’t like anchovies, fish livers or even fish itself, there’s a simple solution: a high-quality fish oil supplement from a company you trust.

Some can leave a fishy aftertaste or, even worse, a case of the “fish burps,” but don’t give up — refrigerate your capsules instead.

And if that doesn’t work, try a different brand until you find one that leaves you with all the benefits… but none of the burps.