The fresh summer strawberries are fresh and delicious, but are they healthy?
Yes, all thanks to their nutrient richness, they are incalculably healthy and there are so many benefits of eating strawberries.
This small, red and heart-shaped berry (which is exactly not a berry) possesses so high nutritional value that you will be completely astounded by it. This incredible nutritional value is responsible for delivering the astonishing health benefits of strawberries.
There are many healthy facts about strawberries, which accentuate that why should you eat strawberries regularly.
Strawberries are among the 10 best sources of Vitamin C and possess a lot of antioxidants, which make them efficient enough to prevent many life-threatening diseases in our body, including some types of cancers, cardiovascular diseases, and many neurodegenerative ailments.
You can eat strawberries with your breakfast, add them to your smoothies, or simply make infused water with it. Owing to the high antioxidant content of these berries, there is a myriad of benefits of strawberry water too, that most of us don’t know about.
So, if you are not able to eat the berries, you can make the strawberry infused water, which can be refilled over and over again and can be used for up to 48 hours. Apart from antioxidants, there are many other important nutrients that you can get by consuming these heart shaped berries.
Contrary to what people believe, that strawberry is a fruit, it is actually a member of the rose family. The common scientific name of strawberry is “Fragaria”.
It’s actually an aggregate of several small fruits, each of which contains a seed known as “achene”. These seeds are the ones which we see on the outer skin of the fruit, and in fact, strawberry is the only fruit in the world that has its seeds outside.
Nutritional Value of Strawberries
Nothing can beat the refreshing and tangy aroma of the freshly picked strawberries. Indeed, it simply tempts us to eat them there and then. But, the tangy and refreshing taste is not the only reasons that you should love these red colored berries.
Strawberries are one of the best sources of Vitamin C, which itself, is an antioxidant. Apart from that, there are many other antioxidants present in these berries including an array of polyphenols comprising of tannins, stilbenes, lignans, phenolic acids, and flavonoids etc.
Also, there are many essential minerals and vitamins present in strawberries, like, magnesium, potassium, folate, and manganese. These berries are also a rich source of dietary fiber that contributes towards the overall well-being.
The seeds found on the outer skin of the strawberries are a good source of an omega-3 fatty acid “alpha-linoleic acid”.
With low calories, low GI, and relatively high fiber content, Strawberries improve overall health and help in preventing a lot of diseases.
Health Benefits of Strawberries
1. Prevents Cardiovascular Diseases
Strawberries are rich in anthocyanins and ellagic acid, which are strong antioxidants and help in scavenging the free radicals, which are known to cause an array of heart diseases.
Ellagic acid also helps in lowering the levels of the bad cholesterol (LDL), regulate blood pressure, inhibit the plaque buildup and the various B Vitamins present in these berries help to strengthen the cardiac muscles while aiding heart to function better.
The p-Coumaric acid is one of the phenolic compounds present in these wonder berries. Many types of research indicate that the p-Coumaric acid can significantly help in preventing the vascular diseases by greatly reducing the number of platelets present in the blood without affecting coagulation and blood clotting.
The anti-inflammatory properties of strawberries help in reducing inflammation and thus, protects the heart from many diseases.
2. Aid Weight Loss
As strawberries are rich in Vitamin C, they significantly help in losing weight and burning the stored fat in the body.
The anti-inflammatory properties of these astounding berries help them in restoring the normal hormone functioning and healing any internal injuries while repairing the tissue damage. As a result, you are able to maintain fitness, lose weight and exercise better.
The anthocyanins and ellagic acid present in these berries accelerate the weight loss and control blood sugar spikes. The anthocyanins also enhance the production of the metabolism stimulating hormones in the body and help in suppressing the appetite.
3. Maintain Eye Health
Many eye related ailments like vision defects, cataract, degeneration of the optic nerves, dry eyes, enhanced susceptibility to infection and macular degeneration occur due to the damage caused by the free radicals, and the deficiency of vital nutrients including Vitamin C.
Many people suffering from eye related issues like cataract are found to be deficient in Vitamin C, which suggests that this antioxidant-rich vitamin is essential for maintaining good eye health. Strawberries are among the richest sources of Vitamin C.
Also, the presence of the antioxidants such as phenolic phytochemicals, flavonoids and ellagic acid in these wonder berries can help in avoiding the eye related problems to a greater extent.
Strawberries are also extremely efficient in fixing the ocular pressure, that is, pressure experienced in the eyes. The potassium present in these berries helps in maintaining the right pressure in the eyes and helps in avoiding the troubles which can occur due to disturbance of this pressure.
4. Fights and Prevents Cancer
As strawberries are exceptionally rich in antioxidants and flavonoids like kaempferol, quercetin, anthocyanins, folate and Vitamin C. These flavonoids make the heart shaped berries rich in carcinogenic properties.
Together, these antioxidants work effectively to prevent and slow down the growth of tumors and cancer cells. By consuming these wonder berries regularly, one can significantly reduce the metastasis of the life-threatening cancer cells.
5. Prevent Birth Defects
Strawberries are rich in folate and Vitamin C, which are among the best nutrients which one must consume during pregnancy. These help in avoiding any birth defects in the children.
Folate helps in enhancing the growth of baby skull, brain and tissues, and the spinal cord formation. The iodine in these amazing berries aids the proper functioning of the brain and nervous system of the babies.
6. Boost Brain Health
Strawberries help in boosting the brain health and avoiding the neurodegenerative ailments. In fact, like bananas, these wonder berries are also considered as the “Brain Foods”.
With our age, the brain tissues start degenerating. Also, the free radical damage results in premature aging of the brain and weakening of the brain nerves. As a result, people start losing their memory and start facing neurodegenerative troubles.
But, these berries are not only exceptionally rich in Vitamin C but also contain many other vital antioxidants, which prevent and cure the free radical damage, regulate the nervous system and brain functioning and help in improving the cognitive abilities.
The high levels of potassium in these berries are responsible for enhancing the blood flow to the brain and delay the memory decline in the aged people.
7. Regulate the Blood Sugar
If you are struggling with controlling your diabetes, and reduce your blood sugar levels, then all you need to do is eat some strawberries daily.
These incredibly healthy berries decrease the risk of Type-2 diabetes and also, are known to exhibit improvements in the people suffering from diabetes. These help in naturally controlling diabetes and lower down the blood sugar levels.
These also help in reducing the risk of kidney failure due to diabetes.
8. Prevent Arthritis
Often, with age, our muscles, tissues, and joints start becoming weak and fluid inside them starts drying up. Also, the free radicals result in the accumulation of the acids like uric acid and toxic substances in the joints and tissues. As a result, problems like gout and arthritis start prevailing.
Strawberries are enriched antioxidants and the natural detoxifiers which can prevent the free radical damage. These berries are also rich in powerful anti-inflammatory properties which help in decreasing the inflammation in the joints while easing the pain.
9. Strengthen the Immune System
Our immune system helps in protecting the body against the microbial infections and many other potentially dangerous health conditions by producing the antibodies which fight against the disease causing agents.
Strawberries help in strengthening the immune system and neutralizing the free radicals which are produced during the cellular metabolism. These free radicals are capable of mutating our DNA, and converting the healthy cells into the damaged, sick and potentially cancerous cells.
These berries are extremely rich in Vitamin C, and thus, work effectively in curing and preventing coughs and colds. Vitamin C is also responsible for stimulating the white blood cells’ activity in the body which fight against the toxins and health damaging foreign bodies.
10. Delay the Premature Aging Off the Skin
The constant exposure to the internal and external factors like sun, environmental pollution, poor diet, and stress, is responsible for the premature aging of the skin. Owing to these, the fine lines, wrinkles, pigmentation etc. starts becoming visible on your skin.
Strawberries are rich in two of the most skin friendly elements, vitamin C, and antioxidants, both of which help in preventing the premature aging by protecting the skin against the UV and free radical damage.
Vitamin C is naturally rich in skin-boosting properties and it also accelerates the production of collagen that keeps the skin firm and glowing.
Though, you must eat strawberries regularly to get its skin boosting benefits, but, you can also apply their juice directly on your skin to tone it and reduce the pigmentation as well as dark spots.
Application of strawberry juice or pulp on the skin brightens up the complexion, exfoliates skin, lightens up the dark lips, can reduce the acne and puffed eyes.
11. Prevent Hair Fall
Vitamin C is one of the most vital nutrients required by our body to maintain a healthy scalp and natural hair growth.
Strawberries, which are capable of providing more than our daily requirement of Vitamin C, can easily ward off the different factors causing hair fall and prevent the excessive hair from falling.
These can also provide effective protection against dandruff, and help in keeping the scalp healthy.
The benefits of this incredible fruit signify the colossal nutritional value of strawberries, and why these should be on your plate every morning.
