Strawberries: benefits and harms to human he alth

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

The well-known juicy berry, in addition to being one of the most delicious natural delicacies of the first summer month, also occupies a leading position in the content of vitamins and amino acids, ahead of even citrus fruits in these indicators.

Strawberry nutritional value

Full JBU index per 100 g fragrant berry:

• 0.7g protein;
• 0.4g fat;
• 7, 6g carbs.

At the same time, the average caloric value of strawberries does not exceed 43 kcal for the same number of berries, and the low glycemic value (only 31) allows you to include summer sweetness in the diet of a diabetic. True, people with diabetes are advised to eat no more than 70 g of treats per day, and the calculation of sugars (per 100 g of product) should be carried out according to the following values:

• 2.6 g glucose;
• 2.5g fructose;
• 1, 2g sucrose.

Nutritionists recommend adding he althy strawberries to various diets for weight loss, primarily because of the huge amount of he althy carbohydrates and the almost complete absence of fat in its composition.

Chemical composition of berries

As for vitamin andtrace element composition of strawberries, the benefits of which are considered, it contains:

• vitamins: group B (B1, B2, B6, B9), carotenoids, ascorbic acid, tocopherol, phylloquinone, ergocalciferol;
• pectins;
• fiber;
• phenols;
• acids - malic, pantothenic, folic and citric;
• micronutrients: zinc, magnesium, potassium and calcium, sodium, iron.

Despite the fact that strawberries do not leave the shelves of large stores for a whole year, the best option to fill the deficiency of nutrients will be to wait for your local berry. Imported strawberries are removed from the bush while still green, and ripen already during the transportation period, so the benefits of such strawberries for the human body are doubtful.

Red he alth berries

It is difficult to name the reason for the effectiveness of therapeutic or restorative processes in favor of strawberries. Therefore, it is better not to comment on the mythical ability of the berry to cure cancer or destroy carious streptococci, but to focus on the real possibilities of the fetus:

• increase in the number of red blood cells (without the threat of causing increased blood viscosity);
• partial disinfection of the oral cavity and slowing down the development of caries;
• slight diuretic and choleretic effect;
• mild laxative action by stimulating intestinal contractility;
• improved digestive functions (due to high amounts of acids).

The suggestion that the benefits of strawberries extend tothe destruction of cancer cells is supported by the known properties of flavonoids and phenolic acids, which are actively used in anticancer therapy and contained in strawberries. However, the amount of antioxidants in the berry is not enough to achieve a therapeutic effect. Therefore, doctors recommend eating a treat as a prevention of the development of pathogenic cells, and using prescribed medications for treatment.

Benefits of the green part of the strawberry bush

Not only the fruit part of the plant is useful for the human body, but also the fresh (or dried) leaves of the green bush. The main thing is to use undamaged leaves without traces of chemical processing.

1. Quick "fixing" for the stomach - put 10 washed strawberry leaves in a thermos and pour 0.5 liters of boiling water. After half an hour, the potion can be drunk.
2. Phyto-diuretic to relieve puffiness - knead the dried leaves (2-3 pieces) in your hands and pour them with a glass of boiling water. Steep covered for 15 minutes and drink this amount within 2 hours.

The main advantage of treating the green tops of a plant is the ability to prepare it for future use without losing the healing value of the composition. Leaves should be stored in kraft paper bags or cloth bags.

Strawberries for weight loss

Diets based on the exclusion of sugar from the diet require natural sweeteners. If you completely eliminate fructose and sucrose from the menu, the body will begin to f alter oncardiovascular and mental level, and a metabolic disorder can lead to the opposite effect and a person will rapidly gain weight.

Recently, there have been diet plans based entirely on the proper use of strawberries. True, it will not work to seriously lose weight on such diets, but losing 1-2 cm at the waist is completely. Here is a sample of one such diet with approximate proportions of foods:

• Morning meal - fruit mix of 10-12 strawberries, apples and kiwis, seasoned with 2 tbsp. spoons of natural unsweetened yogurt.
• Daytime meal - mix 100 g of boiled white chicken meat, a pinch of cashew nuts or walnuts and 5-7 strawberries. Add a spoonful of yogurt or grapeseed oil.
• Evening snack - 5 strawberries with 1-2 crackers.
• Dinner (between 6:30 pm and 7:30 pm) in the evening – half a pack of fat-free cottage cheese rubbed with 7 strawberries and, if desired, a mix of 100 g of any other fruit. Cottage cheese mass can be washed down with fermented baked milk, curdled milk, kefir (250 ml).

Such a diet can have the character of fasting days and be repeated once a week. Or follow in small blocks of 3 days once a month.

Strawberries for beauty

The benefits of strawberries for women are expressed in a wide range of cosmetic procedures. Due to the high concentration of fruit acids, strawberry masks whiten, exfoliate, nourish and disinfect the skin. It is used as a simple strawberry puree, stabilized with egg white or starch,as well as complex multi-component compositions with the addition of honey, cream, cottage cheese or cosmetic clay.

Irreplaceable for skin and berry juice. It is diluted with distilled water 1:5 and frozen in forms for rubbing the face in the morning. Undiluted juice of fresh berries is recommended to treat pigmented areas of the skin and acne.

To lighten teeth by 1-2 tones, it is advised to knead the berry on a cotton pad and rub the teeth and gums well with the resulting slurry. This should be done every day throughout the strawberry season. In the same way, they get rid of brittle nails and painful calluses, which, under the action of acid, quickly become coarse and stop bothering.

Contraindications

With all the obvious benefits, the harm to he alth of strawberries and the negative consequences of its use often lead to forced treatment already from the natural medicine itself. As the most frequent phenomenon, allergic symptoms are called, expressed in hyperemia, edema of varying degrees, tearing, runny nose, urticaria. Since intolerance can occur at any age, there is a general recommendation not to consume berries larger than 400 g per day, and also not to include strawberries in the diet if an allergy to citrus fruits, honey, nuts or melons is exacerbated.

In the presence of large immobile kidney stones, eating berries is also harmful. The benefits of strawberries as a source of vitamins, however, cannot be compared with the consequences that can causecoarse s alt stones moving up the ureter.

Little children (from a year old) are allowed to add 7-10 g of mashed strawberries to cottage cheese or unsweetened yogurt. If you do not notice an allergic reaction to a new complementary food, you can gradually increase the portion to several berries per day.

Completely abandon the use of fresh or frozen strawberries (the benefits and harms of which are similar) will also have to be in acute form of gastritis or stomach ulcer. Reduce the number of berries to 5-7 pieces per day, you need hypertensive patients who are constantly taking drugs to lower blood pressure.

Is it possible to eat strawberries during the feeding period

If the mother's body perceives the product well, then after the birth of the child you do not need to deny yourself a treat. The exception is the situation when the baby is born in the "strawberry season", that is, at the beginning of summer. Then the newborn may not be able to cope with the abundance of new elements in milk and react with violent allergic symptoms.

For a child born at the end of winter, a slightly changed and richer composition of mother's milk will even be useful. But during this period and until the baby reaches the age of seven months, mom can eat no more than 3 berries a day. By gradually increasing the amount of strawberries eaten, by the age of one year, a nursing woman can have 5-7 berries in her daily diet.

Special Recommendations

When buying berries in the market or in a store, you can easily mistake tinted and artificially restored berries for fresh ones. Will issuelow-quality fake - the absence of a specific, bright aroma or a neutral "waxy" smell. It is best to buy strawberries "with tails" - such a berry will be stored longer, and "marketability" will not lose several days. Of course, before you get on the table, the berries will have to be washed well, preferably with warm water.

Misuse of berries in food is the second most common reason for the negative reaction of the body to a treat. Few people know, but delicious berries should not be left “for dessert” after a hearty dinner, because acids, which are abundant in strawberries, start immediate fermentation processes in the body. Gut irritation can be avoided by eating berries between two main meals - that is, not on an empty and not on a full stomach.

The most successful combination in which all elements of the berry are absorbed with maximum he alth benefits is strawberries and dairy (sour-milk) products. Thanks to vitamin C, calcium is better absorbed by the body and takes on enveloping functions that protect the digestive tract from the aggressive effects of fruit acids.