Strawberries properties & benefits!
Strawberries, discover all the properties & benefits of this anti-inflammatory food that is in season already in April.
Strawberries (fragaria vesca), belong to the Rosaceae family, these appear naturally in april and if we manage to find them not loaded with pesticides & manure, they are very beneficial for our health, infact they are:
- anti-inflammatory
- diuretic (reduce uric acid in urine)
- blood alkalizing
- purify plasma from acidic toxins
- reinforce antioxidant activity
- reinforce our immune defense
They are very rich in vitamin C that fortifies our immune defense & helps our organism absorb iron in an easier way. They are rich in fibres that give us a stiety feeling & regularize carbohydrate absorption, keeping the blood sugar levels balanced.
They are also natural aspirins, because they are rich in ELLAGITANNINS, that are poliphenolic compounds which release in our body high quantities of ellagic acid (a substance with anti-tumoral properties). The ellagic acid protects our blood vessels & prevents the risk of trombosis & cardiovascular diseases (just they same way aspirin does). Various studies have also shown that strawberries are able to protect the gastric mucosa from irritating agents such as for example alcohol. They are also rich in xylitol, that protects our teeth.
Something curious we should know about strawberries is that the real fruit are the little yellow seeds we find on the surface which are called ACHENES, whilst the red pulp is part of the flower.
In Italy we find many different varieties but the 4 most commonly known are:
-DI BOSCO (wild): are excellent against high blood pressure, they are naturally & spontaneously produced by mountain plants especially in the Trentino region, they are rich in agrimoniin which help control high blood pressure levels.
-CANDONGA: Grown in the Basilicata region, this variety resists very well against parassites & therefore is given less chemical treatment.
-TORTONA: is a very rare species similar to raspberries, with a white pulp and an aroma that reminds us of “moscato”, there is also a black market for Tortona strawberries.
-TERRACINA: rich in fibres that reduce the absorption of sugar & fat.
The best way to consume strawberries is immediately, just rinse them in water & bicarbonate of soda, than let them dry in a colander, in order not to lose most of the vitamin C content it is ideal to avoid cutting them and consuming whole. If eaten naturally they maintain all the antioxidants which sugar would neutralise, & they shouldn’t even be paired with cream because they would reduce their properties, but if you would like to make a dessert out of them just pair them with lemon sorbet which increases their draining virtues. They are great as a snack since they reduce hunger & glycemia, for example an excellent snack would be blending together 5-6 strawberries with natural plain yoghurt & some fresh mint leaves. Adding lemon juice will double the vitamin C concentration & the anti free radical action too. We could also make excellent infusions using the strawberry leaves, able to purify our blood, the dosage is 40g of leaves for every litre of water.
Take a look at our tried and tested method: Anti-Diet
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