15 BENEFITS OF STRAWBERRIES FOR PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH - NUTRITION - 2025

The health benefits and properties of strawberries are numerous: they help to lose weight, prevent cardiovascular problems, are moisturizing, improve the condition of the skin and strengthen the immune system and others that I will explain below.

With the arrival of heat, there is nothing more suitable than strawberries. Although fruits such as apples, bananas or oranges are more popular, strawberries are even healthier, since they are composed of essential vitamins and minerals for our body.

In addition, associations such as the Spanish Heart Foundation (FEC), claim the nutritional properties of these red fruits, for their positive effects on the heart.

The strawberry, whose scientific name is fragaria, is a red fruit that stands out for its aroma and flavor. It is a type of food that contains a large amount of nutrients necessary for the body, but which in turn provides extra health benefits that serve as substitutes for drugs or other processed products. That is, what is known as a superfood.

Very popular in most cultures, there are more than 600 different varieties of strawberries around the world, with different flavor, size or texture. Although it is usually included within the so-called group of berries, strawberries differ from blueberries or raspberries in that their seeds are on the outside and not on the inside.

It is believed that the first wild strawberries flourished in the Alpine area. What we are clear about is that since Ancient Rome its medical use was routine.

The Romans used them as a measure to relieve symptoms of fainting, throat infections, fever, halitosis, kidney stones, gout attacks (in which they were not mistaken) and diseases related to the liver or spleen.

Later in medieval French, they began to be cultivated for medicinal purposes and also aphrodisiacs. For example, it was common for newly married couples to be served strawberries in their soup.

So, when you eat strawberries, try to remember that they are not only a tasty food, but also contain properties that will help you stay healthy. If you are skeptical, here are 15 reasons to add strawberries to your diet.

Phrases health properties

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With only approximately 30-35 calories per 100 grams, strawberry is one of the lowest calorie fruits that we can find on the market.

For your reference, an orange contains about 45 calories, an apple 75 calories, and a banana 80 calories. In addition, anthocyanin, responsible for the pigmentation that produces the red color of strawberries, stimulates the burning of stored fat.

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Anthocyanins are also responsible for providing strawberries with the ability to suppress the body's inflammatory responses. This causes the cholesterol level to be reduced and the risk of hypertension is avoided.

Studies have been carried out that affirm that, women who consume strawberries or blueberries two or three times a week, can reduce the risk of suffering a heart attack by 32%.

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

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

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

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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 (the vitamin of mood), which help improve mood in people with disorder bipolar or suffering from depression.

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Strawberries are an incredible natural remedy for proper protection and hydration of 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.

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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 hair follicles are some of the positive effects that can be acquired with the consumption of strawberries.

In addition, as strawberries are composed of folic acid and vitamin B5 and B6, we prevent hair loss or thinning.

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If you are prone to colds or the flu because your immune system is weak, it is advisable to follow healthy habits to ensure that your defenses can do their job.

Red fruits, such as strawberries, have a great bactericidal capacity thanks to the fact that they are rich in vitamin C.

Thus, strawberries are an ideal food to heal these types of ills. Of course, it is required to consume a high amount for its effectiveness to be noticed.

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We already know the importance of vitamins and minerals to keep the body in good condition. An adequate supply of vitamins helps to have a good coagulation, healthy defenses, stabilization of female hormones or a correct bone growth.

If you want to get a good source of vitamins, eat strawberries and you will acquire vitamin C, B and E in large quantities and vitamins A, D, E and K and folate to a lesser extent.

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

Berries such as 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.

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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 showing that women who ate 16 or more strawberries a week developed more C-reactive protein (CRP), a powerful anti-inflammatory produced by the liver. Therefore, they are a good natural medicine for diseases like arthritis.

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Since Roman times, doctors have recommended strawberry as a perfect cure for gout.

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

In the 18th century, the doctor and botanist Carl von Linnaeus, assures in his studies that he was cured of the gout based on a diet composed mainly of strawberries.

12- They are advisable for

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

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

Vitamin C helps to strengthen the cornea and retina of the eye, preventing cases of macular degeneration in the elderly.

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

Over a 6-month period, they were administered freeze-dried powdered strawberries *, with the incredible result that 80% significantly reduced the chance of developing cancer.

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

14- They help us 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.

According to the results of the study, cognitive aging can be delayed up to 2.5 more years, when consuming quantities of strawberries and other red fruits such as blueberries or raspberries.

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

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

Precautions

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

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

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

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

Those with a predisposition to renal lithiasis (kidney stone) and other types of oxalate kidney stones should also be cautious. This is because strawberries have a high content of oxalic acid, which is very inadvisable for this type of person. To date, it is also being studied whether this acid is problematic for people with gallbladder problems.

Nutritionists or endocrinologists recommend taking an average of five pieces of fruit a day. But, even if you love them, do not have five servings of strawberries daily and try to combine them with other fruits. This is because strawberries release histamine, an endogenous substance that helps trigger migraines in the central nervous system.

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 thus reduces oral bacteria.

However, recent studies replicate this trend and argue that the bleaching effects are not real. The acid released by strawberries produces an imperceptible erosive process on the tooth enamel that, to human eyes, creates the whitening effect.

References

1. Arpita B, Marci W, Kavitha P, Brandi S, Nancy M, Betts and Timothy J Lyons (2009) Freeze-dried strawberry powder improves lipid profile and lipid peroxidation in women with metabolic syndrome: baseline and post intervention effects. Nutrition Journal 2009, 8:43
2. Chen T, Yan F, Qian J, Guo M, Zhang H, Tang X, Chen F, Stoner GD, Wang X. Randomized phase II trial of lyophilized strawberries in patients with dysplastic precancerous lesions of the esophagus. Cancer Prev Res (Phila). 2012 Jan; 5 (1): 41-50. doi: 10.1158 / 1940-6207. CAPR-11-0469. Epub 2011 Dec 1.
3. Aedín C; Kenneth J Mukamal; Liu L; Franz M; Eliassen A; Rimm E. High Anthocyanin Intake Is Associated With a Reduced Risk of Myocardial Infarction in Young and Middle-Aged Women. Circulation (2013); 127: 188-196
4. Joann A. Giaconi, Fei Yu, Katie L. Stone, Kathryn L. Pedula, Kristine E. Ensrud, Jane A. Cauley, Marc C. Hochberg, Anne L. Coleman, and other. The Association of Consumption of Fruits / Vegetables With Decreased Risk of Glaucoma Among Older African-American Women in the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures (2012)
5. Darrow GM. The strawberry. History, breeding and physiology. 1966 pp. xvi + 447 pp.
6. Shiow Y. Wang; Hsin-Shan L. Antioxidant Activity in Fruits and Leaves of Blackberry, Raspberry, and Strawberry Varies with Cultivar and Developmental Stage. J. Agric. Food Chem., 2000, 48 (2), pp 140–146
7. Devore EE, Kang JH, Breteler MM, Grodstein F. Dietary intakes of berries and flavonoids in relation to cognitive decline. Ann Neurol. 2012 Jul; 72 (1): 135-43. doi: 10.1002 / ana.23594. Epub 2012 Apr 26.