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Strawberries are available all around the year as fresh or frozen products
Almost every family in America enjoys eating strawberry fruits due to their delicious taste. First cultivated in ancient Rome, these fruits have become one of the most popular berries worldwide.
Strawberries are a preferred snacking option for health-conscious people as well. A cup of strawberries (about 8 medium-sized strawberries) has only 45 to 50 calories, making them a healthy treat to satisfy your cravings for sweets. Also, a dessert filled with strawberries offers a gamut of nutritional benefits that many traditional desserts lack. These fruits are rich in various nutrients and antioxidants that protect against several diseases and allergies. Being rich in antioxidants and deficient in sodium, strawberries may also protect against lifestyle diseases, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart diseases.
What nutrients do strawberries provide?
Strawberries are available all around the year as fresh or frozen products and thus, represent a relevant dietary source of various nutrients.
Strawberries are loaded with essential vitamins, a good amount of fiber, and particularly high levels of antioxidants known as polyphenols. Most health-promoting polyphenols in strawberries are anthocyanins, which give strawberries their bright-red color as well.
Other antioxidants present in strawberries include Vitamin C, potassium, and manganese. Just one cup of strawberries provides more Vitamin C than an orange. Antioxidants are substances that help in preventing chronic diseases, such as diabetes, heart diseases, and cancers. Strawberries rank in the top 20 fruits in antioxidant capacity.
Strawberries are also naturally low in sugar with only 7 grams of natural sugar in a cup of strawberries.
Strawberries also contain fat-soluble vitamins, such as Vitamin E and Vitamin K, and a sufficiently good amount of several other vitamins, such as thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and Vitamin B6.
Strawberries are one of the richest natural sources of the micronutrient called folate, which plays an essential role in promoting good health and preventing diseases.
Strawberries are also a good source of minerals that include:
- Manganese
- Iodine
- Magnesium
- Copper
- Iron
- Phosphorus
What are the health benefits of eating strawberries?
Consuming one cup of strawberries thrice a week may help improve your health by
- Reducing total cholesterol levels
- Increasing high-density lipoproteins (HDL) cholesterol or good cholesterol
- Lowering blood pressure
- Protecting against heart disease
- Keeping weight under check (by providing satiating effect)
- Preventing a rise in blood sugar levels after meals (fiber present in strawberry slows down digestion and makes you feel full for longer)
- Lowering the risk of some cancers
- Supporting cognitive function