It’s officially strawberry season! 🙂 I hope you are taking the opportunity to munch on this juicy and delicious fruit on a frequent basis! Strawberries are the messengers of summer! They just bring a joyful and light mood! Favourite fruit for many of us, today I want to share with you a few more reasons why you should eat more of it! Not only are they incredibly tasty, they have some serious health benefits as well!

Health benefits:

Strawberries are a great source of vitamin C. In fact they are listed as the number 5 source of vitamin C on http://www.whfoods.com. Vitamin C is an antioxidant, but strawberries also contain a collection of polyphenol antioxidants, which can also have anti-inflammatory properties.* There is more evidence that the antioxidant content in strawberries can help lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. Another interesting health benefit of these red fruits is that they can help improve the regulation of blood sugar. Strawberries have been linked with improved cognitive process as well. Their ability to neutralise free radicals and their iodine and potassium content make them a “brain food”, as they can rejuvenate the system and help increase blood flow to the brain.

Strawberries are an excellent weight loss food. They are low in calories, and high in fiber, which helps improve digestion, feed the good gut bacteria and has a detoxifying effect. Their red colouring contains anthocyanins, which stimulate the burning of stored fat.

Strawberries are known as a beauty food too, because they contain biotin, which helps build strong hair and nails.

How to select and store: 

Buy only ORGANIC strawberries! Unfortunately this fruit is one of the highest in pesticides, so you will not do yourself any favour by eating conventional strawberries. If you love them, enjoy them bio. If you can’t get them organic then I’d suggest to opt for another fruit instead.

As you may already know strawberries are very perishable so try to use them soon after you purchase them. Choose berries that are firm, do not have blemishes or mold, and still have their green caps. Strawberries don’t ripen further after they have been picked, so choose ones with deep red colour, and avoid ones with green or yellow patches on them.

You can store unwashed strawberries in your fridge (they are heat sensitive so don’t leave them out in the warm!) for up to two days. Wash them just before consuming them, as they perish quickly. Don’t soak them as they will loose some of their flavour, but gently run them under cold water and remove the green caps after.

Preparation tips 

Do I have to tell you how to enjoy this delicious fruit? Freshly washed strawberries are the best, but of course, you can add them to a fruit salad or squeeze some orange juice on top.

Sources:

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=32
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/10-super-health-benefits-of-strawberries.html