Strawberries have got
to be one of the highlights of summer for me, these juicy berries go hand in
hand with picnics, cream teas and many other British summer time traditions, As
a child some of my earliest memories involved picking strawberries with my grandparents
at a local farm where you could fill a punnet for as little as one pound.
Strawberries are
thought to have originated from northern Italy sometime around 234 B.C.
Although it wasn’t until around the 1300’s that cultivated production began. Wild
strawberries were already harvested and used in the new world by natives when European
settlers first arrived in 1588.
What are the health benefits of strawberries?
- Powerful
anti-inflammatory properties – A substance found in strawberries known as anthocyanin is known to
help reduce swelling of joints as well as offering the fruit its rich red
colour.
- Strawberries
for healthy skin – Strawberries
contain a number of powerful antioxidants that work to reduce the number
of free radicals in the blood supply, oxidative stress plays a large role
in the aging process, so if you are looking for young youthful looking
skin you could do a lot worse than pick up some strawberries.
- Strong, healthy bones – Strawberries
contain a number of essential nutrients, including potassium, manganese both
of which help us to maintain bone strength, this makes strawberries a
great choice for kids.
- Strawberries
promote cardiovascular health – The flavonoids found in strawberries help to prevent cholesterol
build up in the arteries surrounding the heart, in addition strawberries have
anti-inflammatory properties that can be useful when suffering from some
heart conditions.
- Boost
memory – One particular flavonoid
found in strawberries has shown some astonishing properties, fisetin is
able to actively enhance memory by stimulating signal pathways in the
brain. A research published in the Annals of
Neurology also proved that as little a two
strawberries a day helps to delay the onset of age related memory loss in
women.