Strawberries – Harmful or Beneficial to Your Health?
Oh, what would it be like to have fresh berries every day all summer? I think heavenly. Beautiful red strawberries are such a favorite of mine and as part of my quest to produce more of the food we consume, I have started researching them. Now, more than ever, I am really excited about the thought of growing our own.
I hope you read this article to the end, (It’s not that long!) and come away with a new appreciation for the strawberry God created.
Health Benefits of Eating Strawberries
First let me remind you of the good things Strawberries offer. Some you may know already, but there were some facts that were new to me.
Strawberries…
In 1/2 cup of strawberries you will receive (based upon a 2,000 calorie diet):
- 80% of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for Vitamin C
- 7% of the RDA for dietary fiber
- 2% of the RDA for Iron
- 2% of the RDA for Calcium
1/2 cup of strawberries = 25 calories
*When researchers ranked the 50 best antioxidant sources for the most commonly consumed foods, strawberries placed 27th in the U.S. When compared only to fruits, strawberries ranked 4th (blackberries, cranberries and raspberries were ahead).
*Strawberries not only are a great source for antioxidants but they also have anti-inflammatory properties. During research they found that patients who consumed 1 cup of strawberries 3-4 times per week had reduced levels of C-Reactive Protein.
For those of you who do not know what C-Reactive Protein is, (which I also was unfamiliar with until researching strawberries), it is something produced by the Liver and your levels rise when there is inflammation in the body. Some examples of inflammation would be vasculitis, lupus or rhumatoid arthritis.
*Scientists have discovered a connection between strawberries, table sugar and blood sugar levels. When eating 5-6 teaspoons of sugar, blood sugar levels will start to spike but when 1 cup of strawberries was consumed at the same time, these levels were reduced!
Researchers have speculated that the polyphenols in strawberries may actually help regulate blood sugar responses. I did not find anything regarding Type I diabetes, but for those with Type II it can be a great boon since you can actually benefit from the consumption of this fruit. Read this article for more information.
Note: Really you already probably realize this but a strawberry is best when eaten raw, not baked, stewed or coated with sugar. Raw strawberries are fantastic on their own, why kill all the antioxidants, enzymes and vitamins by cooking them?
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Ways to Use Fresh Strawberries
Strawberry Yogurt
Vanilla Yogurt w/ Strawberries
Strawberry Smoothie
Strawberry Milk
Strawberries in Lemonade
Strawberry Daiquiri (non-alcoholic, of course)
Stawberries used in a Fruit Parfait
Strawberries in Salad
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Now for the bad!
What’s Harmful About a Strawberry?
Part II to come soon.
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Main Sources for this article were:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/351095-can-diabetics-eat-strawberries/
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