The Romans prized wild strawberries for their medicinal properties
Ounce for ounce, strawberries have more Vitamin C than citrus fruit. According to the American Cancer Society, foods rich in Vitamin C may lower the risk of cancers of the gastrointestinal tract.
Given their unique combination of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrients, it's not surprising to see strong research support for strawberry health benefits in three major areas: cardiovascular support and prevention of cardiovascular diseases - improved regulation of blood sugar, with decreased risk of type 2 diabetes, and prevention of certain cancer types including breast, cervical, colon, and esophageal cancer.
How to Select and Store
As strawberries are very perishable, they should only be purchased a few days prior to use. Choose berries that are firm, plump, free of mold, and which have a shiny, deep red color and attached green caps. Since strawberries, once picked, do not ripen further, avoid those that are dull in color or have green or yellow patches since they are likely to be sour and of inferior quality.
Full ripe berries will not only have the peak flavor and texture, but will have more nutrients. "Full ripe" in this case means optimally ripe, not overripe. Both underripe and overripe strawberries have been show to have lower vitamin C content and decreased phytonutrient content in comparison to optimally ripe strawberries. |