Surprising Ways Strawberries Can Benefit Our Health

1. Give immunity a boost

“Strawberries are an excellent source of vitamin C,” says Toronto-based registered dietitian Madeleine Edwards. Most mammals – except for humans – have the ability to produce vitamin C naturally, which is why it’s so important to get your daily requirement. “One serving contains 51.5 mg of vitamin C — about half of your daily requirement,” Edwards says. “Double a serving to one cup and get 100 percent.” Vitamin C is a well-known immunity booster, as well as a powerful, fast-working antioxidant. Here are other foods high in vitamin C.

2. Keep wrinkles at bay

The power of vitamin C in strawberries continues, as it is vital to the production of collagen, which helps to improve skin’s elasticity and resilience. Since we lose collagen as we age, eating foods rich in vitamin C may result in healthier, younger-looking skin. But vitamin C isn’t the only naturally-occuring wrinkle fighter found in this fruit. Researchers at Hallym University in the Republic of Korea concluded that ellagic acid visibly prevented collagen destruction and inflammatory response — two major factors in the development of wrinkles — in human skin cells, after continued exposure to skin-damaging UV-B rays. Here’s what your face wrinkles are trying to tell you.

3. Lower cholesterol

According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, heart disease is one of the leading causes of death among Canadian women. Luckily, the benefits of strawberries include powerful heart-health boosters. “Ellagic acid and flavonoids — or phytochemical — can provide an antioxidant effect that can benefit heart health in various ways,” explains Edwards. “One way includes counteracting the effect of low-density lipoprotein, or LDL — bad cholesterol in the blood, which causes plaque to build up in arteries. A second way is that they provide an anti-inflammatory effect, which is also good for the heart.”