Healthy Tips and Nutritional Facts
- Eight medium-sized strawberries contain 140% of the U.S. RDA for Vitamin C. One cup of fresh strawberries provides about 88 milligrams of ascorbic acid, which more than meets the Recommended Daily Dietary allowance of 45 milligrams for the average adult. Vitamin C is well retained when the strawberries are handled carefully. Capping, injuring, cutting, or juicing, however, will reduce the vitamin content.
- Strawberries are low in calories: one cup of unsweetened strawberries has only 55 calories.
- In addition, strawberries are good sources of folic acid, potassium and fiber. Strawberries are also fat-free and low in calories.
- If you're expecting a baby, you'll be very interested in some of the new discoveries about folic acid. In fact, 8 strawberries have 20% of the folic acid you need every day.
- Fresh juice from sieved strawberry pulp has a cooling effect on feverish patients. For a cooling and purifying drink, either pour water on crushed berries or chop the berries roughly and whirl in a blender with a little water.
- As part of the 5-a-day program suggested by the American Cancer Institute, strawberries can also play a part in helping you to reduce the risk of cancer or heart disease.
- Strawberry juice combined with honey will reduce inflammation or sunburn. Rub the mixture thoroughly into the skin before rinsing off with warm water and lemon juice.
It is said that strawberries, blueberries, and even some vegetables could end up helping to protect humans from stomach problems caused by long-term drinking or excessive use of anti-inflamatory drugs like ibuprofen, explains study researcher Sara Tulipani, Ph.D., of the University of Barcelona.
Credit anthocyanins—a type of antioxidant that gives certain fruits and vegetables their color. Tulipani hypothesizes that anthocyanins activate antioxidant enzymes in the stomach lining that protect against ulcer-inducing oxidant damage from ethanol.
Previous studies have found that anthocyanins reduce blood pressure, improve eye health and help protect against cancer. Aim for at least 2 cups of fruits and 2.5 cups of vegetables each day; a serving is 1 cup of berries.
Antioxidant content
Like many other berries, strawberries contain high amounts of antioxidants, in particular anthocyanins type 2 and ellagitannins. These pigments are responsible for strawberries' red color, as well as their powerful oxygen quenching capabilities.
Antioxidants like anthocyanins have been shown by several studies to be effective in reducing risks of developing cancer, cardiovascular disease and inflammation-related diseases.
Anthocyanins have a function similar to cyclooxigenase inhibitors (such as aspirin and other NSAIDs), in that they reduce the transformation of arachydonic acid (a saturated fat) into prostaglandins (mediators of inflammation).
Clinically, COX1 inhibitors have been linked to a reduction in mucous secretion in the gastric mucosa, but this has not been the case with COX2 inhibitors, and anthocyanins appear to not cause these side-effects as well: in a way, they can be considered a safer version of aspirin in their anti-inflammatory properties.
As for their anti-cancer and anti-cardiovascular disease properties, they are caused by the reduction in cellular damage caused by free radicals: some oxygen species such as the superoxide ion can be quenched by the antioxidant power of anthocyanins contained in strawberries.
This in turn greatly reduces the rate of mutation in our cells, which is a direct measure for the risk of developing cancer and diseases such as atherosclerosis.
Strawberries, raw
Refuse: 6% (Caps and stems)
Scientific Name: Fragaria X ananassa
NDB No: 09316 (Nutrient values and weights are for edible portion)
Scientific Name: Fragaria X ananassa
NDB No: 09316 (Nutrient values and weights are for edible portion)
Nutrient | Units | Value per 100 grams | Number of Data Points | Std. Error |
Proximates | ||||
Water | g | 90.95 | 23 | 0.214 |
Energy | kcal | 32 | 0 | 0 |
Energy | kJ | 136 | 0 | 0 |
Protein | g | 0.67 | 19 | 0.026 |
Total lipid (fat) | g | 0.30 | 15 | 0.047 |
Ash | g | 0.40 | 19 | 0.021 |
Carbohydrate, by difference | g | 7.68 | 0 | 0 |
Fiber, total dietary | g | 2.0 | 21 | 0.152 |
Sugars, total | g | 4.89 | 0 | 0 |
Sucrose | g | 0.47 | 15 | 0.328 |
Glucose (dextrose) | g | 1.99 | 16 | 0.194 |
Fructose | g | 2.44 | 16 | 0.198 |
Lactose | g | 0.00 | 12 | 0 |
Maltose | g | 0.00 | 12 | 0 |
Galactose | g | 0.00 | 10 | 0 |
Starch | g | 0.04 | 8 | 0.029 |
Minerals | ||||
Calcium, Ca | mg | 16 | 73 | 0.562 |
Iron, Fe | mg | 0.41 | 77 | 0.026 |
Magnesium, Mg | mg | 13 | 74 | 0.222 |
Phosphorus, P | mg | 24 | 73 | 0.72 |
Potassium, K | mg | 153 | 76 | 4.073 |
Sodium, Na | mg | 1 | 72 | 0.1 |
Zinc, Zn | mg | 0.14 | 74 | 0.013 |
Copper, Cu | mg | 0.048 | 70 | 0.004 |
Manganese, Mn | mg | 0.386 | 73 | 0.018 |
Fluoride, F | mcg | 4.4 | 10 | 0.4 |
Selenium, Se | mcg | 0.4 | 2 | 0 |
Vitamins | ||||
Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid | mg | 58.8 | 9 | 2.473 |
Thiamin | mg | 0.024 | 12 | 0.003 |
Riboflavin | mg | 0.022 | 12 | 0.008 |
Niacin | mg | 0.386 | 12 | 0.037 |
Pantothenic acid | mg | 0.125 | 12 | 0.003 |
Vitamin B-6 | mg | 0.047 | 12 | 0.012 |
Folate, total | mcg | 24 | 3 | 5.465 |
Folic acid | mcg | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Folate, food (1) | mcg | 24 | 3 | 5.465 |
Folate, DFE | mcg_DFE | 24 | 0 | 0 |
Choline, total | mg | 5.7 | 0 | 0 |
Betaine | mg | 0.2 | 1 | 0 |
Vitamin B-12 | mcg | 0.00 | 0 | 0 |
Vitamin B-12, added | mcg | 0.00 | 0 | 0 |
Vitamin A, RAE | mcg_RAE | 1 | 6 | 0.031 |
Retinol | mcg | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Carotene, beta | mcg | 7 | 8 | 0.22 |
Carotene, alpha | mcg | 0 | 6 | 0 |
Cryptoxanthin, beta | mcg | 0 | 6 | 0 |
Vitamin A, IU | IU | 12 | 6 | 0.625 |
Lycopene | mcg | 0 | 6 | 0 |
Lutein + zeaxanthin | mcg | 26 | 6 | 8.04 |
Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | mg | 0.29 | 8 | 0.024 |
Vitamin E, added | mg | 0.00 | 0 | 0 |
Tocopherol, beta | mg | 0.01 | 8 | 0.002 |
Tocopherol, gamma | mg | 0.08 | 8 | 0.01 |
Tocopherol, delta | mg | 0.01 | 8 | 0.005 |
Vitamin K (phylloquinone) | mcg | 2.2 | 9 | 0.29 |
Lipids | ||||
Fatty acids, total saturated | g | 0.015 | 0 | 0 |
4:0 | g | 0.000 | 0 | 0 |
6:0 | g | 0.000 | 0 | 0 |
8:0 | g | 0.000 | 0 | 0 |
10:0 | g | 0.000 | 0 | 0 |
12:0 | g | 0.000 | 0 | 0 |
14:0 | g | 0.000 | 0 | 0 |
16:0 | g | 0.012 | 2 | 0 |
18:0 | g | 0.003 | 2 | 0 |
Fatty acids, total monounsaturated | g | 0.043 | 0 | 0 |
16:1 undifferentiated | g | 0.001 | 2 | 0 |
18:1 undifferentiated | g | 0.042 | 2 | 0 |
20:1 | g | 0.000 | 0 | 0 |
22:1 undifferentiated | g | 0.000 | 0 | 0 |
Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated | g | 0.155 | 0 | 0 |
18:2 undifferentiated | g | 0.090 | 2 | 0 |
18:3 undifferentiated | g | 0.065 | 2 | 0 |
18:4 | g | 0.000 | 0 | 0 |
20:4 undifferentiated | g | 0.000 | 0 | 0 |
20:5 n-3 | g | 0.000 | 0 | 0 |
22:5 n-3 | g | 0.000 | 0 | 0 |
22:6 n-3 | g | 0.000 | 0 | 0 |
Cholesterol | mg | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Phytosterols | mg | 12 | 0 | 0 |
Amino acids | ||||
Tryptophan | g | 0.008 | 0 | 0 |
Threonine | g | 0.020 | 0 | 0 |
Isoleucine | g | 0.016 | 0 | 0 |
Leucine | g | 0.034 | 0 | 0 |
Lysine | g | 0.026 | 0 | 0 |
Methionine | g | 0.002 | 0 | 0 |
Cystine | g | 0.006 | 0 | 0 |
Phenylalanine | g | 0.019 | 0 | 0 |
Tyrosine | g | 0.022 | 0 | 0 |
Valine | g | 0.019 | 0 | 0 |
Arginine | g | 0.028 | 0 | 0 |
Histidine | g | 0.012 | 0 | 0 |
Alanine | g | 0.033 | 0 | 0 |
Aspartic acid | g | 0.149 | 0 | 0 |
Glutamic acid | g | 0.098 | 0 | 0 |
Glycine | g | 0.026 | 0 | 0 |
Proline | g | 0.020 | 0 | 0 |
Serine | g | 0.025 | 0 | 0 |
Other | ||||
Alcohol, ethyl | g | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
Caffeine | mg | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Theobromine | mg | 0 | 0 | 0 |
sources:
http://strawberriesweb.com/strawberries/Strawberry+Nutrition+Facts
http://news.menshealth.com/the-superpowers-of-strawberries/2011/10/30
http://www.pickyourown.org/strawberryfacts.htm
photo courtesy:http://www.flickr.com/photos/29371898@N07/4504753953/sizes/m/in/photostream
