The health benefits of strawberries are numerous. They are packed with nutrients that can help keep your heart healthy, improve your immune system and protect your vision.
They are also a good source of vitamin C and folate. These vitamins are critical for pregnant women as they help in fetal development.
High in Vitamin C
The health Benefits Of Strawberries Are Numerous
A serving of eight strawberries provides 140 percent of the recommended daily value for vitamin C. This powerful nutrient helps protect the body against a variety of health conditions.
The high levels of Vitamin C in strawberries are also essential for healthy skin and a strong immune system. In addition, it’s an important dietary antioxidant that prevents free radical damage to cells.
Eating plenty of strawberries can also reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer and other chronic diseases. They’re packed with nutrients, including dietary fiber, potassium, folate and magnesium, as well as antioxidants like ellagic acid that have been linked to a lower risk of these conditions.
Low in Calories
Strawberries are a great source of nutrients, low in calories, and full of antioxidants. They’re a good choice for weight loss and can also help improve digestive health.
They also contain a high level of potassium, which can lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease. This is because the high amounts of fiber and potassium in strawberries promote healthy heart function by reducing cholesterol levels and promoting the production of anti-inflammatory compounds.
They are also an excellent source of folate, which helps break down a protein in the body known as homocysteine that’s associated with coronary heart disease and stroke. In addition, they’re a rich source of antioxidants, including anthocyanins, kaempferol, and quercetin. These compounds help prevent cardiovascular diseases and protect against cancer, too.
High in Potassium
Strawberries are one of the foods that have the highest levels of potassium. Potassium is a mineral that plays an important role in regulating blood pressure, balancing electrolytes and helping with muscle contractions.
The fruit is also a good source of fiber. Fiber helps improve bowel movements and can prevent constipation.
It also has the ability to reduce acid reflux. This is because the fiber binds with stomach acid and helps to soothe it.
The berries are very low in sodium, so they can be eaten by people with high blood pressure. The potassium in strawberries helps offset the effects of sodium on blood pressure, lowering the risk of heart disease and strokes.
High in Folate
Strawberries are rich in the B vitamin folate (also known as folic acid), which is essential for women of childbearing age. It reduces the risk of some birth defects and also helps to lower colon cancer risks.
Folate is needed to break down a protein in the blood called homocysteine, which has been linked with coronary heart disease and stroke. The American Heart Association recommends that people get at least 560 micrograms of folate per day.
Research has shown that strawberries are high in folate, but the concentration depends on a number of factors, such as cultivar, ripeness and year of harvest. In addition to a healthy dose of folate, strawberries also contain high levels of antioxidants and other beneficial compounds such as ellagic acid, which mops up harmful chemicals in the body that can cause cancer.
Rich in Antioxidants
Strawberries contain numerous antioxidants such as vitamin C, ellagic acid, flavonoids and anthocyanins that are all essential to your health. These antioxidants work together to prevent damage caused by free radicals and other oxidative stressors.
Moreover, strawberries also contain manganese which is an important mineral for the immune system and cardiovascular health. It reduces oxidative stress and decreases inflammation, both of which are leading causes of heart disease.
Eating fresh strawberries everyday has been shown to lower levels of inflammatory blood markers such as C-reactive protein and cholesterol. It also improves the function of a protein called Nrf2 that has been shown to decrease blood lipids, thus increasing the body’s ability to protect against heart diseases and stroke.
