Eating Strawberries! Strawberries are rich in vitamin C and B vitamins like riboflavin, niacin, thiamine, and folate.
Summer fruit also contains vitamins K, E, A, and other nutrients like calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, and potassium.
With its rich profile of nutrients, the fruit is a healthy addition to your daily diet and can help with disease prevention. Here’s an overview of seven strawberry benefits and why you need a daily serving:
1. Boosts Your Immunity
Strawberries pack antioxidants, polyphenols, and anti-inflammatory compounds that can eliminate free radicals and boost your immunity against various ailments.
The fruit is a good source of vitamin C, which protects you from heart disease, stroke, and inflammation. Humans can’t produce vitamin C naturally or store it in the body.
You should take the vitamin through diet, so you need a daily serving of strawberries and other vitamin C-rich foods.
2. Improves Your Vision
Eating strawberries has benefits for your eyes and vision. The fruit contains vitamin E, which protects essential lipids and vitamin A from free radicals and other damage.
Vitamin E has antioxidant properties and complements vitamin C to release free radicals from your body. Your eyes use vitamin C to reverse the damage caused by harsh UB rays from the sun.
Vitamin C from strawberries strengthens the retina and cornea and prevents cataracts.
3. Prevents Some Cancers
Strawberries can help you ward off some cancers, because of the antioxidants. Vitamin C is one of the antioxidants associated with cancer prevention and can boost your natural defenses.
The fruit contains ellagic acid, a phytochemical with anti-cancer properties. Ellagic acid suppresses cancer cell growth and complements vitamin C, lutein, and zeathancins.
4. Regulates Blood Pressure
According to the USDA, strawberries are a medium source of potassium. Potassium is beneficial for those with high blood pressure by offsetting the adverse effects of sodium in the body.
Eating potassium-rich foods reduces LDL and inflammation and improves heart function. High blood pressure is linked to heart attacks and strokes, so eating strawberries has many benefits.
5. Strengthens Your Skin
A daily serving of strawberries is good for your skin’s resilience and makes it look younger. Strawberries contain vitamin C, used in producing collagen, a connective tissue that strengthens your skin, tendons, and ligaments.
Collagen improves skin elasticity, and vitamin C speeds up wound healing. Ellagic acid can prevent collagen breakdown, giving you a powerful combination of skin-healthy antioxidants.
6. Lowers Bad Cholesterol
Heart disease is a leading cause of death, and cholesterol is among the top causes of an attack. Eating strawberries can help reduce free radicals and improve heart function.
Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in the blood increases plaque buildup in the arteries increasing the risk of heart disease.
Ellagic acid and phytochemicals found in strawberries can counteract the impact of bad cholesterol LDL. The fruit has anti-inflammatory properties.
7. Increases Fiber Intake
Strawberries are rich in fiber, which is beneficial for healthy digestion. The fruit can maintain regular bowel movements, pass stool along the digestive tract and reduce constipation.
Eating fiber-rich foods can slow down glucose absorption. Moderate amounts of strawberries can fight type-2 diabetes.
Other benefits of high-fiber foods include aiding weight management and preventing diverticulitis, an inflammatory condition of the intestines.
Other Strawberry Benefits
Eating strawberries has many other benefits, including reducing pesky inflammation in the joints and improving osteoarthritis symptoms. The anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidants protect cells from radicals and stressful conditions.
Pregnant women can use strawberries to increase their folate intake, which helps with creating and developing new cells. The B vitamins aid conversion of food to energy and aid the production of serotonin.
Buying organic food is a great way to experience the strawberry benefits. The fruit can last up to one week in the refrigerator but loses some of its antioxidants and nutrients.
Eating freshly sliced strawberries is the best way to deliver vitamins and minerals.
You can find strawberries in yogurts, salads, desserts, jams, jellies, and more. Make sure your fruit comes from a trustworthy farm with non-GMO products.
