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Mahvish Chishtie
Great tasting and aromatic strawberries are also a health blessing with multiple benefits to offer.
As member of the rose family, the strawberry species boasts a fruit no less fragrant and famous. They are the only the fruit with seeds that are found on the outside. Growing wild for millennia throughout the world, there over 600 varieties of strawberries that all differ in aroma, flavor, size and texture. There is no denying that strawberries are an amazingly delicious fruit with a unique sweet and sour taste with an amazing capacity to turn other food lively and fresh tasting too.
However, they are not only delicious. Healthy and low in fat and calories these fruits are high in fiber. A cup of strawberries provides 50 calories and approximately 3 grams of fiber. Most of this fiber is soluble and studies have found that such can help lower LDL cholesterol or “bad cholesterol”. Fiber further helps regulate digestion, reducing risk of cardiovascular disease, and possibly reducing risk of some cancers too.
Antioxidants are abundant in this delight, protecting your body from cellular damage caused by free radicals making you age faster. A class of such antioxidants is flavonoids which are a type of phenol known to be quite potent. Phenolic compounds are organic molecules which a plant produces for protection against threats such as diseases and environmental stressors. These substances also shape the aroma, color and flavor of the fruits.
These chemicals have also been shown in studies to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease by lowering the oxidation of low density lipoprotein (LDL) or “bad cholesterol”. This leads to an improvement of blood vessel functions thereby decreasing the tendency for blood to clot. Further, research have shown that such nutrients decrease inflammatory processes which helps protect the heart.
Compared to other berries, they contain more vitamin C with one cup providing 100% of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C for adults. Besides this, these fruits are also good sources of folate, iodine, manganese, and potassium as great health providing minerals. Strawberries are also laden with phytonutrients, plant chemicals that contain helpful disease-preventing, complexes, which have been shown to have health benefits.
These fruits do not mature after they are picked, so look for ones that are shiny with a deep red color. Further, make sure that these are firm, plump and free of mold. Avoid those that have green, yellow patches and are dull in color. As these fruits are extremely perishable, store them covered loosely in the refrigerator, washing them well before eating them.
Make sure you include them in your daily diet towards fully benefitting from the myriad health benefits from this amazing fruit.