With their pretty red color and sweet taste, strawberries appeal to the greatest number… but above all, they have many benefits for our body.
- Strawberries are very rich in vitamin C, B9 and antioxidants like anthocyanin. They also contain a lot of fiber, manganese and potassium.
- This fruit is linked to a reduced risk of cognitive decline and heart problems.
- Strawberries would also help boost the immune system and control blood sugar.
Strawberries are the star fruit of sunny days. It appears on the tables from April. If its peak season lasts until June, some varieties allow you to enjoy it until the beginning of autumn. And you can enjoy it without a bad conscience.
Asked by the Cleveland Clinicdietitian Dr Bailey Flora explained: “strawberries give you a lot of nutritional value for very few calories”. The expert adds: “They’re tasty, but naturally low in sugar. It’s a tough combination to beat.”
The fruit is, in fact, particularly rich in vitamin C (54 mg per 100 g) and B9 (98.90 µg per 100 g, 49.45% of the recommended intake). It also contains interesting levels of fiber, manganese and potassium. Its healthy composition allows it to have many benefits.
Strawberries boost the brain
Strawberries are allies against cognitive aging. Several studies have shown their protective effects on the brain. Research conducted with nurses, presented in 2013, show that people who eat the most blueberries and strawberries suffer less cognitive decline. Their brain capacities are up to two and a half years younger.
Of the works of 2019 have shown that strawberry lovers are 34% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than those who eat little. The benefits of the food would be linked to the large amount of antioxidants it contains. These are known to reduce inflammation in the body, a key factor in the development of neurodegenerative disease.
Strawberries boost the immune system
Eating 100 g of strawberries provides on average 67.50% of the recommended daily nutritional values of vitamin C. However, this nutrient plays an essential role in the healing of wounds but above all in the proper functioning of the immune system. Among other things, it increases the production of T and B lymphocytes.
To stay healthy, health professionals recommend consuming 100 to 200 mg of vitamin C daily, and more when you are sick.
For Dr. Bailey Flora, “It may be more beneficial to choose vitamin C-rich foods like strawberries over vitamin C supplements because you get additional health benefits. With strawberries, this includes fiber and other phytonutrients and vitamins which cannot be reproduced in a vitamin supplement”.
Strawberries protect the heart
Strawberries seem to act on two elements that put the heart in difficulty: cholesterol and triglycerides. According to one 2009 study, people who drank water mixed with 25 milligrams of freeze-dried strawberry powder (equivalent to 3.5 cups of juice) every day for a month saw their cholesterol levels drop by 5%. Of the similar works – but carried out over 2 months, two years later – had recorded a greater drop (-10%).
A third experiencecarried out in 2014, noticed a drop in cholesterol (-8%) but also triglycerides (-10%) in volunteers who ate 400 g of strawberries a day for a month.
Strawberries help regulate blood sugar
“If you’re watching your blood sugar, strawberries are a great way to satisfy your sweet tooth”, notes the Cleveland Clinic article. A finnish study found that people eating strawberries with white bread (a food known to raise blood sugar) release 26% less insulin compared to when they take it with a cucumber. Other fruits, such as raspberries and cranberries, have been tested, but only strawberries show a lower blood sugar spike after meals.
On the other hand, to take full advantage of all the nutritional benefits of strawberries, Dr. Flora recommends limiting very sweet accompaniments such as whipped cream, ice cream or cakes.
