“S”trawberries « Health Now, Wealth Forever

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By Gary, on May 8th, 2013

If “Q” is for Quercetin and “R” is for Rhubarb then

 “S” is for Strawberry

Do you have a strawberry patch in your garden?  Depending upon the geographic location of your residence you may have also eaten some of your berries. Also, you will notice strawberries arriving in the produce section of your groceries and also showing up at the local farmer’s markets.

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.

Health benefits of strawberries

  • Low in calories and fat.
  • Significantly high amounts of phenolic flavonoid phyto-chemicals. Scientific studies show that consuming strawberries may have potential health benefits against cancer, aging, inflammation and neurological diseases.
  • Source of anti-oxidants.
  • Excellent source of vitamin-C.  Helps the body develop resistance against infectious agents, counter inflammation and scavenge harmful free radicals.
  • Rich in B-complex group of vitamins: B-6, niacin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and folic acid. These vitamins act as co-factors to help the body metabolize carbohydrate, proteins and fats.
  • Contain vitamin A, vitamin E and health promoting flavonoid poly phenolic antioxidants such as lutein, zea-xanthin, and beta-carotene in small amounts.
  • Contain a good amount of minerals like potassium, manganese, fluorine, copper, iron and iodine.
    • Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure.
    • Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase.
    • Copper is required in the production of red blood cells. Iron is required for red blood cell formation.
    • Fluoride is a component of bones and teeth and is important for prevention of dental caries.

Some information you should know if you don’t already – there is a list out there labelling certain foods as “dirty”.  Strawberries are on that list.  Here is a copy of that list:  http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/

1. Apples – The biggest offender on this year’s Dirty Dozen list, apple samples tested positive for at least one pesticide residue in 99 percent of cases. 2. Strawberries – Strawberries ranked as the second most contaminated fruit on this year’s list. 3. Grapes – A single grape tested positive for 15 pesticides. 4. Celery – Samples of celery tested positive for 13 different pesticides 5. Peaches – Peaches rank fifth on this year’s Dirty Dozen list. 6. Spinach – Spinach is the second most contaminated veggie on this year’s list. 7. Sweet Bell Peppers – Like grapes, a single sweet bell pepper tested positive for 15 pesticides. 8. Nectarines (imported) – Every sample of imported nectarines analyzed by the EWG tested positive for pesticides. 9. Cucumbers – Cucumbers rank ninth on this year’s Dirty Dozen. 10. Potatoes – The average potato had a significantly higher total weight of pesticides in comparison with other food crops. 11. Cherry Tomatoes – Cherry tomatoes tested positive for 13 different pesticides. 12. Hot Peppers – Hot peppers round out this year’s dirty dozen.

To help control the contamination, a good washing before eating is recommended as well as buying strawberries labelled as certified organic by USDA. 1Warning:

“Strawberries may cause serious allergic reactions in some sensitized individuals. Some of the most common symptoms of strawberry allergy include swelling and redness of mouth, lips and tongue, eczema, hives, skin rash, headache, runny nose, itchy eyes, wheezing, gastrointestinal disturbances, depression, hyperactivity and insomnia. Individuals who suspect allergy to these fruits may want to avoid.”

References:

1http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/strawberries.html

http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/2401?fg=&man=&lfacet=&format=Full&count=&max=25&offset=625&sort=fd_s&qlookup=