Along with the change in the weather, winter brings with it a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. Some of the best quality of produceis available in the winters, and it’s my advice that one should make the utmostuse of it. There are many fruits and vegetables which are seasonal andavailable only during the winter months.
Strawberry is one such fruit. While Mango is the king of fruits – another fruit available for a short duration during summers and power packed with nutrients – I would consider strawberries to be the Queen of fruits. This sweet but slightly tart fruit is completely packed with a powerhouse of nutrition and health providing benefits.
In ancient Rome, strawberries were widely popular and used as a medicine for alleviating a variety of ailments like gout, kidney stones,bad breath, inflammation, fever etc. This attractive, deep red fruit is rankedamongst the top ten fruits and vegetables of the world in terms of antioxidantcapacity. Research has found that when compared with other fruits, it ranksthird – blackberries and walnuts being the first two – in its antioxidantcapacity. It has an ORAC – oxygen radical absorbance capacity, a measure for antioxidant capacity – of 3577 micromols per 100 gms.
Strawberries are rich in essential nutrients like vitamin C,potassium, folic acid, folate, calcium, magnesium, vitamin A and fiber. 100 gms of strawberries give just 32 kcals and about 98% of your recommended daily intake for vitamin C. This nutritional powerhouse also contains antioxidants like anthocyanins, ellagic acid and quercetin which have protective effects for cancer.
Heart Health :