Game, Set And Match To The Health Benefit Of Strawberry!
What is the health benefit of strawberry?Much loved in the UK, as in many other parts of the world, our good friend the strawberry has many health benefits.
They are now considered a superfood with at least three times as many nutrients than a lot of other fruits.
Other important health benefits of strawberries.... - Boosts Energy Levels
- Prevents Cancer
- Reversing Antiaging Signs
- Helps Asmathics
- Helps Hay-Fever Sufferers
Quintessentially a British summer food...think Wimbledon tennis...strawberries and cream. Champagne and strawberry cream teas. Around 24 tonnes are consumed during Wimbledon fortnight.
I have great memories of childhood summers in Kent (England) spent strawberry picking among rows and rows of them at the traditional 'pick-your-own' farms, and of course eating as many as you could pick as you go along!
Ok, more info on the health benefit of strawberry. They are fat free and low calorie however they are jam packed with nutrients. Extremely rich in phenols, they are anti-cancerous and also a heart protector. As mentioned above, they protect towards asthma, rheumatoid and osteoarthritis. Strawberries also
protect against age-related decline in brain function and oxidation of brain cells.
Strawberries are an excellent source of.... - Manganese
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin K
- Vitamins B5 and B6
- Folate
- Potassium
- Magnesium
- Iodine
- Riboflavin
- Copper
- Dietry Fibre
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids
If there was a list currently of the top 20 foods that researchers consider to be the most nutritious at the moment,
five kinds of berries
would be on that list. Strawberries would be up there along with
blueberries,
raspberries,
cranberries,
and
blackberries.
That is very impressive. So where do the antioxidants come in?
Berries (including strawberries) are prized for their non-nutritive plant chemicals, which are called phytochemicals.
Phytochemicals are naturally occurring antioxidants that add flavour, colour and scent to plants. Antioxidants protect the body against
free radicals.
Recently, researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture ranked
blueberries
as No. 1 in antioxidant activity when compared with 40 other fruits and vegetables. Strawberries came in second. Indeed a superior fruit.
Strawberries weigh in at a hefty 1540 in the
ORAC
food list.
A handful of strawberries counts as one portion of fruit and veg in your '5-a-day' totals.
So...don't just wait for Wimbledon fortnight, now you know the health benefit of strawberries, make them a regular part of your diet.
How Eating Strawberries Could Help In Preventing Oesophageal Cancer
I have just been reading an interesting report from research findings at the American Association for Cancer Research. They have revealed a protective effect for strawberries against the progression of precancerous oesophageal lesions.What is the oesophagus? It is the tube that transports your food and drink to the stomach from the back of the mouth. It can be found behind in front of the spine and behind the windpipe. Hollow and muscular, it basically pushes food down into the stomach. Oesophagus cancer is fast rising up the cancer charts and is now in 6th palce as the most frequent cause of cancer death world-wide..currently, in the UK it accounts for around 5 per cent of all cancer deaths. In 2007 around 150 people per week in the UK were diagnosed with this type of cancer. The study was carried out in China for these findings. 36 Chinese men and women whose oesophageal lesions placed them on the cancer radar as 'high risk' were chosen for the study. They eat 60g of freeze-dried strawberries every day for six months. Why freeze dried? This actually concentrates the fruit's protective compounds. Oesophagus biopsies were taken before and after the trial. What they found was a decrease in histological grade (aggressiveness) of precancerous lesions in a whopping 80.5 per cent of the people who took part at the trials conclusion. What did they conclude from the study? That 6 months of strawberry treatment is safe and easy to consume. Not only did it decrease the aggressiveness of precancerous lesions, but it also reduced cancer-related molecular events too. By consuming strawberries daily, the various biomarkers involved in oesophageal carcinogenesis, including cell proliferation, inflammation and gene transcription were suppressed. Although most of people with precancerous lesions in their oesophagus, inevitably will develop oesophageal cancer, however strawberries may slow the progression of the precancerous lesions in the oesophagus. As always, further tests are required, but it's a positive and encouraging start, and really highlights the power of antioxidants in fruit. Finally, other ways to reduce your risk of developing oesophageal cancer is by keeping your weight down, limit your alcohol intake, stop smoking and eat healthily by including plenty of antioxidant rich fresh fruit and veg in your diet.
Related Reading To The Health Benefit of Strawberry at This Website
Cancer Fighting Fruit
The Truth About Antioxidants
Best Foods to Slow Aging
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