7 Fascinating Reasons We Need Strawberries: The Science

Blog Nutrition & Recipes 7 Fascinating Reasons We Need Strawberries: The Science

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9.2.2021 0 comments

Strawberries are so much more than just one of the tastiest fruits on the planet—they’re also one of the healthiest food choices you can make!

These little red berries are nutritional powerhouses, packed with fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants that will have a huge impact on your health.

Below, we’re going to take a look at the science of what makes strawberries great, giving you all the cold, hard data you need to prove that strawberries absolutely deserve a place in your healthy, balanced, aging gracefully diet!

The Scientific Proof Why Strawberries are Amazing

There has been a great deal of research into what makes strawberries so healthful [1], looking at all the properties of the many micronutrients contained within these tasty little fruits. In fact, there’s a pretty impressive list of benefits you can derive from strawberries:

Antioxidant Boost – Strawberries are an amazing source of bioactive phenolic acids, anthocyanins, and flavonoids, all antioxidants that can provide an impressive range of health benefits. The phenolics in strawberries are capable of [2] not only detoxifying free radicals, but actually blocking free radical production in the body and reducing oxidative stress. These antioxidants will also protect and repair your DNA against damage on a molecular level, and affect the genetic expression that controls your cellular function, metabolism, and antioxidant activity in your body.

Immunity Boost – Strawberries are incredibly rich in Vitamin C—in fact, a single cup of strawberries contains all the Vitamin C you need in a day. As is well-established, Vitamin C is a potent immune-booster that will make your body more resistant to disease, reduce the severity of symptoms should you get sick, and accelerate recovery time from illness. Getting more Vitamin C is absolutely imperative to keep your body resistant to disease, infection, and illness.

Great for Your Heart – Strawberries contain antioxidants that will directly benefit your heart health [3] by reducing the markers of inflammation that both signal and contribute to cardiovascular disease. The flavonoids and anthocyanins in strawberries will also have a positive impact on your heart health [4] by increasing the production of the nitric oxide that dilates your blood vessels, inhibiting inflammation in the cardiovascular system, and improving your cholesterol and blood sugar levels. They’re one of the best heart-smart fruits you can eat!

Strawberries can also help to regulate your blood pressure, decreasing your risk of hypertension. The berries are rich in potassium, the mineral that works alongside sodium to maintain a healthy fluid balance in your body. High levels of potassium in your diet act as a buffer to prevent sodium from triggering the water retention that can lead to high blood pressure.

Good for Blood Sugar Control – Strawberries contain a lot of sugar, but they’re balanced out with plenty of fiber that help to slow down the sugar absorption rate, making these berries excellent for a boost of energy without triggering blood sugar spikes. The berries can even help to reduce carbohydrate absorption and sugar production from OTHER foods [5], making them amazing for aiding in blood sugar control. You can reduce your risk of diabetes, obesity, and heart disease by managing blood sugar levels thanks to strawberries.

Amazing For Your Skin – The Vitamin C in strawberries is amazing for your skin, and will stimulate the production of collagen, the protein that keeps your skin fresh and healthy. Strawberries also contains ellagic acid, an antioxidant that will help to reduce inflammatory response, collagen destruction, and UV damage caused by prolonged exposure to sunlight. Whether you eat strawberries or apply them directly to your skin (via a homemade face mask or clay), you’ll find they work wonders to improve skin health.

Fight Cancer – It turns out strawberries have cancer-fighting properties, thanks to the many, many antioxidants they contain. Studies [6] have found that strawberries (and other berries) can reduce the inflammation and oxidative stress that contribute to cancer, but they can even inhibit the growth and spread of tumor cells. Both epigatannins and ellagic acid prove highly effective anti-cancer antioxidants!

Promote Healthy Babies – Pregnant mothers are recommended to take folic acid or folate supplements in order to get more of this critical micronutrient that encourages better maternal and infant health. Turns out strawberries might be just the “supplement” you’re looking for! These berries are rich in folate, with 21 mg of this vital B-vitamin in every serving. Strawberries can help to prevent birth defects and aid in the healthy development of the infant’s spinal cord and brain.

Wow, those are some pretty amazing benefits of strawberries! Just one simple little fruit, but what a world of difference it can make to your health and longevity.

It’s worth adding a serving or two of strawberries into your daily diet as often as you can. You’ll boost your immunity to disease, improve your skin health, protect yourself from cancer, keep your heart healthy, fight obesity and diabetes, and provide your body with those critical health-boosting antioxidants it needs!

Resources:

[1] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27172913/

[2] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25803191/

[3] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18356331/

[4] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20384847/

[5] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19930765/

[6] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18211019/

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