Skip to main content

Health Benefits of Strawberries

Everyone knows that strawberries are delicious. However, did you know just what a nutritional powerhouse they are? Here are eight reasons to include strawberries in your diet.

Diet
One cup of strawberries contains over 13% of the RDA of dietary fiber, yet only 43 calories. The dietary fiber in strawberries helps to keep digestion regular, as well as lowers blood pressure and curbs overeating.

Antioxidants
Strawberries contain a chemical compound called phenols. Anthocyanin, a particular phenol abundantly found in strawberries, lends the rich red color to the fruit. Though anthocyanin is known to have antioxidant properties within the fruit, it is debated as to whether the antioxidant agents in anthocyanin-rich foods can be absorbed into the body once digested. Fortunately, however, it is known that when anthocyanin-rich foods are consumed, the body's uric acid levels increase, which serves as an antioxidant agent.

Anti-Inflammatory
The phenols in strawberries also fight against many inflammatory disorders, such as osteoarthritis, asthma and atherosclerosis, by inhibiting the enzyme cyclooxygenase (COX) in the same way that the drugs aspirin and ibuprofen do. Strawberries, however, do not carry unwanted side effects like stomach and intestinal bleeding.
Anti-Cancer
 The combination of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agents found in strawberries is well-known to fight against the onset of many different forms of cancer. Thanks to the vitamin C, folate, and the flavonoids quercetin and kaempferol that they also contain, strawberries are a delicious defense against potentially cancerous cells.
Healthy Eyes
The Archives of Opthalmology recently published a study in which three or more servings of strawberries (and other fruits) per day can decrease the possibility of contracting age-related macular degeneration by over one-third.

The Vigorous Vitamin C
One cup of strawberries contains an incredible 136% of the RDA of vitamin C, an effective antioxidant that can help lower blood pressure, ensure a healthy immune system, and ward off the development of age-related ocular diseases, such as cataracts and macular degeneration.

Magnificent Manganese
One cup of strawberries contains 21% of manganese, an essential nutrient that acts as a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent. By increasing the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), the enzyme responsible for protecting mitochonrdria exposed to oxygen, manganese not only helps to fight the battle against free radicals and oxidative stress, but also lessens cellular inflammation -- another cause of numerous cardiovascular diseases.

Bone Health
Manganese is also great for the bones, helping in bone building and maintaining proper bone structure. The potassium, vitamin K, and magnesium in strawberries are also important for bone health

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Stomatitis and Unani Treatment

Oral inflammation and ulcers, known as stomatitis, may be mild and localized or severe and widespread. They are invariably painful. Stomatitis may involve swelling and redness of the oral mucosa or discrete, painful ulcers (single or multiple). Less commonly, whitish lesions form, and, rarely, the mouth appears normal (burning mouth syndrome) despite significant symptoms. Symptoms hinder eating, sometimes leading to dehydration and malnutrition. Secondary infection occasionally occurs. Some conditions are recurrent. Stomatitis may be caused by local infection, systemic disease, a physical or chemical irritant, or an allergic reaction. many cases are idiopathic. Because the normal flow of saliva protects the mucosa against many insults, xerostomia predisposes the mouth to stomatitis of any cause. The  most common specific causes overall include Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS)—also called recurrent aphthous ulcers (RAU) Viral infections, particularly herpes simple...
333 comments
Read more

Chronic Bronchitis - Prevention and Cure Through Unani Medicine

  The bronchi are air passages connecting the windpipe (trachea) with the sacs of lungs (alveoli), where oxygen is taken up by blood. Bronchitis is an inflammation of bronchi causing excessive mucus production and swelling of the bronchial walls. Chronic bronchitis is the term applied when coughing and sputum continues for 2-3 months and returns each year for at least two years generally lasting slightly longer each time. According to the Unani system of medicine ‘ Sual ’ or cough is an act by which body tries to remove the irritating substances from organs (lungs). The act of cough is performed by contraction and relaxation of chest muscles and diaphragm. Sometimes chronic bronchitis is associated with airflow obstruction and may be associated with breathlessness. Causes According to Unani system of medicine, chronic bronchitis is caused due to accumulation of excessive phlegm in the respiratory system that causes irritation to the sacs of the lung thereby resulting in cough. The...
62 comments
Read more

AJWAIN FOR WEIGHT LOSS

There is a trend in the supplement world toward herbal weight loss. Many people assume that an herbal supplement is automatically safe, and that isn't true. Compound that with the fact than some people ascribe fat-burning or appetite-suppressant qualities to whatever herb happens to be in vogue, and you end up with many disappointed dieters with empty wallets. Ajwain is one such herb. No reputable source makes any weight-loss claims in connection with it, yet people still turn to it in the quest for a leaner body. Ajwain  Ajwain, also known as Bishop's Weed, has been used as a cooking spice in the Middle East, India and China for centuries. The plant itself is a small shrub with fine hairs, but the small, ridged, brown seed is the part used for cooking. The taste is said to be spicy and bitter, and although ajwain has been used for a long time, it is not widely traded outside its native area. Uses Besides being a cooking spice, ajwain has been used in Ayurvedic and Unani m...
44 comments
Read more