Posted on January 24, 2012 in Food & Nutrition
It is hard to find someone who can resist delicious-looking, red heart-shaped strawberries with sweet juicy flavor. Quite understandably, strawberries are considered the most popular berries of the world. In Belgium, there is an entire strawberry museum dedicated to educate people about medicinal and other uses of strawberries. According to a folklore, splitting a double strawberry and eating it with an opposite sex, can make one fall in love!
Health Benefits of Strawberry
Strawberries are low fat, low-caloric fruits. It is rich in vitamin A and C, manganese, dietary fibers, etc.
Listed below are some of the health benefits of strawberries:
- Healthy Vision: Rich antioxidants present in strawberries such as vitamin C, Phenolic Phytochemicals, Flavonoids, etc. can limit the damage caused to our eyes such as vision defects, optical nerves degeneration, macular deneration etc
- Proper Brain Function: With aging of brain, there can be gradual degeneration of brain tissues and nerves connected with it because of free radicals. Free radicals are elements that cause cellular damage. The vitamin C and phytochemicals present in strawberries can limit the harmful effects of free-radicals to the brain and can rejuvenate it. In addition, strawberries are rich in iodine which can help in proper brain function and that of the nervous system
- Prevents Heart diseases Associated with High Blood Pressure: The presence of folate in strawberries can decrease homocysteine levels in blood. Homocysteines are amino acids that can cause blockage of arteries. Thus, reduced homocysteine in the blood can reduce systolic pressure, which in turn, can reduce the risk of heart diseases associated with high blood pressure
- Prevents Cancer: One of the main factors common in most cancers is that it can cause irrepairable DNA damage. The antioxidants present in strawberries such as anthocyanins, ellagitannins and flavanols can act as a protection for DNA. This can check the risk of cancers such as prostate cancer, colon cancer or oral cancer
- Prevents Birth Defect: Folic acid also known as vitamin B9 or folate contained in strawberries can play a major role in fighting birth defects. Several studies have found that folate can reduce the risk of serious birth defects such as the neural tube defect, which can severely damage the brain and spinal cord of a baby
Strawberry can be consumed daily without being worried about calories or cholesterol. As suggested, one serve of 8 medium-sized strawberries can provide about 140% of the daily requirement of vitamin C in the body.
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