Strawberries are perhaps the most famous berry of all the berries and are a favorite spring and summer treat for all. They are the 5th most consumed fruit in the United States. Strawberry is mostly loved for its texture and its sweet taste. But, apart from these, Strawberries are also powerhouses when it comes to nutrition. They gracefully complement a healthy diet and have been known to benefit skincare in recent years. Keep reading to find out all there is to know about Strawberry nutrition so that you can gorge on it to the fullest of your hearts.
A Background On This Sweet Berry.
A hybrid of the rose (Rosaceae) family, the berry is known to have originated from Europe and is most popular in the United States. The Romans, in Europe, prized Strawberry for its ornamental value and not as an edible fruit back then. The berry is known to have been cultivated for food in the 1300s, but the French in the 1700s discovered a version of it in Chile and brought it back with them.
The present-day Strawberry nutrition food is a hybrid of several berries found across Europe and America. The Hovey variety of strawberries was cultivated in the United States in the 1800s. This is the closest variety to the one cultivated in the present day. This variety was developed because of hybridization efforts in England before the American harvests. In Europe, a variety that originated in North America was found. Today, Strawberries are grown in the United States all over, and California is the number one producer. California cultivates almost 1 billion pounds of berry per year. Reasons, why Strawberries are so loved in the United States are their sweet taste, easy growing process, and the fact that it thrives in all 50 states’ farms.
Nutritious Facts About Strawberries.
Similar to other plant foods, Strawberries are low-calorie and nutrient-dense as well. To prove this, let’s find out some facts about a cup of sliced Strawberry nutrition.
- 53 Calories
- 0.50 g of total fat
- 1.11 g of Proteins, which is 2.2% of the Daily Value
- 12.75 g of Carbohydrates
- 3.3 g of Dietary Fiber
- 8.12 g of Sugar
- 27 mg Calcium, which is 2.7% of the Daily Value
- 0.68 g Iron, which is 3.8% of the Daily Value
- 22 mg Magnesium, which is 5.5% of the Daily Value
- 20 International Units of Vitamin A, which is 0.4% of the Daily Value
- 97.6 mg of Vitamin C, which is 162.6% of the Daily Value
- 3.7 mg of Vitamin K, which is 4.6% of the Daily Value
These numbers prove that Strawberry is a nutritional powerhouse, especially an excellent source of Vitamin C. Strawberries are also cholesterol-free making it an excellent choice of food to eat without any worries.
Health Benefits Of The Most Loved Berry.
Classified as functional or whole foods, Strawberries aren’t processed or modified. They are high in nutrients while low in calories, giving you the best nutritional option. Fruits are also known to hydrate since they have a high-water content, keeping you full for longer so that you don’t go looking for an in-between meal snack.
Strawberries are aesthetically appealing because of their color, but it has a backstory that makes them a much better treat. The deep red color of Strawberries comes from pigments that are called anthocyanins. These pigments are beneficial to our health since these chemicals, rich in antioxidants, help control harmful free radicals. With time, these free radicals can prove harmful to numerous body systems and promote diseases.
The berries, according to the U.S. The Department of Agriculture’s MyPlate guidelines has various health benefits as well. Many illnesses can be warded off by strawberries, as published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. These illnesses are as follows:
- Inflammation
- Diabetes Type 2
- Obesity
- Metabolic Syndrome
- Certain Heart Diseases
- Certain Neurological Issues
- Certain types of Cancer
- Some harmful microbes
Can These Magical Berries Also Help In Weight Loss.
As we’ve discovered, Strawberries offer many health benefits, and there are even certain clinical studies that show them helpful with obesity. But consuming just strawberries will, of course, not help you lose weight. This fruit can be a helpful addition to a weight loss diet plan since they are high in fiber while low in calories, therefore keeping you full for longer.
Consuming food items with fewer calories can lead to a calorie deficit crucial for weight loss. That is 3500 calories per pound of body fat. Gradually choosing Strawberry nutrition over candies and other sweets can aid you in losing unwanted weight
Choosing and Selecting This Delicious Berry.
The tender flesh of the strawberries makes it easy for them to bruise, so you should be careful not to squeeze the berries and bruise the skin when you’re picking your berries. You should inspect and ensure that any of your store-bought or farmers’ market containers do not have any soft or discolored strawberries. On getting home, refrigerate your Strawberry nutrition right away, which will preserve the Vitamin C in them since it is sensitive to heat. You should also remember to not wash the strawberries until you’re just about to eat them since that prevents the risk of blemishing and having them mold. This way, you will keep the strawberries fresh for longer.
How To Prepare and Add Strawberries To Your Diet.
When you’re ready to eat your strawberries, you should rinse and drain them with cold water. Do this in the original container or filter, but do not ever let the strawberries soak. Whole or sliced strawberries are most beneficial to your health. You can also enjoy just strawberries as a snack or add them to your yogurt, oatmeal, or other nutritious foods. They are also a great addition to smoothies. Some recipes that can be incorporated into your daily life to mix it up a little are as follows:
- Strawberry Banana Soy Smoothie
- Yogurt Parfait with Mixed Berries
- Dark Chocolate-Covered Strawberries
How Do Strawberries Affect Your Skin.
Due to their high antioxidant content, Strawberry nutrition is potentially beneficial for your skin. A study published in the Molecules found that strawberries protected the skin from free radicals. These free radicals can cause premature wrinkles and aging. It is also common to use strawberry-infused cleansers, masks, and other skincare products in your local beauty store. According to research, these products may help your skin by protecting it from the sun’s harmful rays.
What If You Eat One Too Many Strawberries.
Like other food products, strawberries aren’t free of all risks either. Even though they are free from calories, eating too many strawberries can cause gastrointestinal troubles. These troubles present as abdominal pain, cramps, and Diarrhea. You can avoid these symptoms by not eating more than a cup every day. Another serious condition is a Strawberry allergy. The person can have food allergies like hives, wheezing, itchy skin, etc., if they consume strawberries. These symptoms might develop in 5-15 minutes and have a significant risk for Anaphylaxis, leading to shock or even death.
So to conclude, Strawberry nutrition is a powerhouse, and they taste delicious as well, but you should also be careful and not consume too many of those berries.
Description: Do you love strawberries but do not understand their nutritional aspects. Keep reading to find out all the Strawberry nutrition facts.