15 Healthy Reasons to eat Strawberries

Eating fruit is very healthy, but if you want to take advantage of the benefits of fruit, the key is variety. The strawberry is one of the fruits that most people like because it’s healthy. Its characteristic sweet flavor, its libidinous form and its red color distinguish it above any other food. Provides various nutrients and vitamin C.

It also contains phytonutrients and antioxidants that help fight the dreaded free radicals, which in many cases produce various types of cancer.

It is a very versatile fruit. People do not know their properties well and although the price is a little more expensive than other fruit, its intake is recommended, if it can be done continuously, since its benefits will be noticed in the body.

 It can be eaten after meals or as part of a salad accompanied with other vegetables. It is ideal for the biggest children of the year since it is not recommended before because it can present allergies.

 There are more than 600 varieties of this fruit, they are distinguished in flavor, texture, aroma and color. Those strawberries that have an intense red color are the sweetest and selected by the consumer.

 It is one of the tastiest fruits and offers more advantages to the human body, provides protection to the cellular structure and prevents oxidative damage. 

Its rich flavor, accompanied by the aforementioned benefits are a good choice, which will no longer only be used for desserts.

1. Help to lose weight

With just 30-35 calories per 100 grams, the strawberry is one of the least caloric fruits, we can find in the market.

To serve as a reference, an orange contains around 45 calories, an apple 75 calories and a banana 80 calories. In addition, anthocyanin, which is responsible for the pigmentation that produces the red color of strawberries, stimulates the burning of stored fat.

2. Reduce cardiovascular problems

Anthocyanins are also responsible for providing strawberries with the ability to suppress the body's inflammatory responses. This causes the cholesterol level is reduced and the risk of hypertension is avoided. Studies have been carried out that says that women who eat strawberries or blueberries two or three times a week can reduce the risk of myocardial infarction by 32%.

3. Good hydrating method

In the hot months we are exposed to a greater dehydration, so apart from drinking enough liquid, we need extra reinforcement for the proper transport of nutrients by our body and a regulating control of the temperature.

Fruits and vegetables are a good complement due to their high levels of vitamins and antioxidants. In the case of strawberries, its composition is 92% water, leading the ranking next to watermelon.

They are also rich in vitamins, antioxidants, potassium and calcium, components that reaffirm the moisturizing properties of the strawberry.

4. Keep you in good mood

According to researchers from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), it has been shown that foods such as strawberries or blueberries contain components such as valproic acid or vitamin B1 (mood vitamin), which help improve mood in people with bipolar or suffering from depression or anxiety.

5. Soften the skin

Being a food that blooms in the summer months, it serves as an alternative to pharmaceutical products such as creams or masks, obtaining the same result.

Its consumption helps us to exfoliate, whiten and soften the skin, protect us from the sun's UVA rays, eliminate acne, spots and freckles or reduce bad signs of the face such as dark circles.

6. Beautiful hair

Hair also benefits from strawberries thanks to its high content of omega-3, magnesium and copper.

Getting silky and shiny hair, reducing dandruff or protecting the hair follicles are some of the positive effects that can be acquired with the consumption of strawberries.

In addition, when composing strawberries of folic acid and vitamin B5 and B6, we prevent hair loss or thinning.

7. Prevents cold

If you are prone to cold or suffering from the flu because your immune system is weak, it is advisable to follow some healthy habits to guarantee that your defenses can fulfill their function.

The red fruits, like strawberries, have a great bactericidal capacity because they are rich in vitamin C.

So, strawberries are an ideal food to heal this kind of evil. That yes, it is required to consume a high amount so that its effectiveness is noticed.

8. They contain many vitamins

We already know the importance of vitamins and minerals to keep the body in good condition.  If you want to get a good source of vitamins, eat strawberries and acquire vitamin C, B and E in large quantities and vitamins A, D, E and K and folate to a lesser extent.

9. Fight constipation

When the intestine cannot digest food naturally, it is a serious problem, causing stomach pains or bloating. For this, the most advisable natural solution is fiber intake.

Berries like blackberries, raspberries or strawberries are very rich in fiber. It is advisable to consume them together with a good bowl of cereals, since together they form a good team to enjoy a good intestinal transit.

10.  Natural anti-inflammatory

Sweet fruits such as cherries, raspberries, grapes or strawberries, contain a considerable amount of vitamin C, minerals, antioxidants and other nutrients that help reduce inflammation.

In the case of strawberries, there is research that shows that women who consumed 16 or more strawberries per week developed more C-reactive protein (CRP), a potent anti-inflammatory product produced by the liver. Therefore, they are a good natural medicine for diseases such as arthritis.

11. Prevent Gout

Already since Roman times, doctors recommended strawberry as a perfect cure against gout.

This is because strawberries are anti-inflammatory, so they alleviate ailments such as gout or arthritis, and diuretics, favoring the reduction of uric acid.

In the eighteenth century, the doctor and botanist Carl von Linneo, says in his studies that he cured of gout based on a diet composed mostly of strawberries.

12. Good for eyes

Components of the strawberry, such as vitamin C, help prevent many eye problems because it contains pigments such as lutein and zeaxanthin. 

Considering that this vitamin is the one that protects us from the exposure of the UVA rays of the sun, the possibility of suffering vision problems such as cataracts, are drastically reduced.

Vitamin C helps strengthen the cornea and the retina of the eye, avoiding cases of macular degeneration in people of advanced age.

13. Prevent esophageal cancer

Studies developed in China, took a sample of 36 patients with precancerous lesions dysplastic esophagus.

During a period of 6 months they were administered lyophilized powder strawberries *, with the incredible result that 80% markedly reduced the possibility of developing cancer.

* Lyophilization is the process by which water is separated from the product through a vacuum chamber.

14.  Keep the brain younger

According to a study published in the scientific journal Annals of Neurology in 2012, strawberries are fruits rich in flavonoids, a component that reduces cognitive decline in older people.

15. They are delicious

Strawberries are one of the most popular fruits for their flavor and aroma. There are many varieties and can be combined with both sweet and salty.

Although we can best take advantage of their nutrients is taking them to the natural, we can make with them thousands of recipes such as ice cream, smoothie, gelatin, yogurt, cake, cake or include them in cookies, gin and tonics, champagne or salads.

Precautions

Listed many of the benefits of consuming strawberries and derivatives, it is worth warning about some negative effects, false myths or recommendations to enjoy this product better.

When purchasing strawberries it is important to make sure they are bright, very red, smell good and have stems intact. These are health symbols for a very delicate fruit that needs to be preserved in cool places like the fridge.

Washing them is very important to eliminate any harmful residues impregnated in them. Keep in mind that it is a fruit that does not peel and therefore is more exposed to external elements that we ingest.

Although rich in nutrients, pediatricians recommend not to introduce them into a child's diet until after 12 or 18 months. This is because they are allergenic fruits and could cause serious damage to the infant.

Do strawberries help whiten teeth? If we visit many nutrition portals about teeth whitening, we will find that strawberry usually appears as one of the foods that help improve the color of our teeth. They base this theory on that strawberries produce malic acid, which in turn stimulates saliva and therefore reduces oral bacteria.

However, don’t think so much and enjoy the delicious and healthy strawberries.