Strawberries are considered to be among the better looking fruits and so they are often used to garnish fruit salads, cakes and sweetmeats. They are also aromatic and have a sweet smell that tends to linger and so they are also often used in beauty preparations. However aside from its sweet smell and good looks, strawberries also have a lot of health benefits. These delicious little fruits happen to be the most popular berries, with over 600 different species available. There are both cultivated strawberries and wild strawberries. The wild variety of the fruit is smaller and much more intense in terms of flavor. The cultivated variety of the berry is what you purchase at the store. They happen to be a part of the rose family, which is probably from where they get their very eye appealing bright red color.
The strawberry is rich in vitamins and is good for health. They can be used in many different ways, as a smoothie, in a salad, in fruit dishes and ice creams, candies desserts and drinks and so on. Let us look at some of the benefits of the fruit. Strawberries have a high content of antioxidants. Antioxidants help in fighting against free radicals and also help in eliminating toxins from the blood. Free radicals are known to damage cells and are responsible for causing most types of cancers. Thus strawberries are ideal for fighting cancer due to the high level of antioxidants that they contain. The various nutrients present in the fruit help in nourishing brain cells, increasing both the functioning as well as the health of the brain. The minerals, vitamins and antioxidants present in the fruit together, constitute to form a powerful disease fighting mechanism.
Adding strawberries to one’s daily diet is recommended especially for catarrh, gout and rheumatism. In addition they also help in treating conditions such as constipation, high blood pressure and the flu. Strawberries are also good for the teeth. They can help you in getting rid of tartar. All you need to do is slice a strawberry in half and the rub one half on the teeth. Or you could follow the much simpler route and just chew on them. The acidic content in the fruits acts on the tartar and dissolves it. Apart from doing away with tartar, the acid also helps in significantly improving the health of the gums. As these fruits are perishable, they need to be consumed soon after they are purchased. It is thus advisable to buy them between April and October – the time that they are in season.