Reasons to Eat Strawberries and Raspberries

Low Sugar and Low Glycaemic Load

Strawberries, followed by raspberries, are the best fruits to eat for those wanting to lose weight and have sustained energy levels. This is because they are low in calories and have the lowest glycaemic load of any fruit (the glycaemic load of a large punnet of strawberries is.

The glycaemic load of a food is a measure of how much a food raises a person’s blood sugar level, and how much it is likely to cause weight gain. Stable weight and stable energy are achieved by eating foods with a low glycaemic load.

It is a myth that bananas provide sustained energy. They are among the fruits with the highest glycaemic load. This means a person would have to eat 12 punnets of strawberries to have the same effect on your blood sugar as one banana.

Folate, the 21st Century Panacea

Described in the British Medical Journal as a ‘leading contender for panacea of the 21st century’, folate (a B vitamin) prevents pregnancy problems and miscarriages, relieves depression, improves memory and concentration, and lowers heart disease risk and homocysteine levels, now thought to the single greatest measure of a long and healthy life. There is 100 times more folate in a small punnet of strawberries than there is in one apple. 5 strawberries provide 125mcg of folic acid which is more than half of a day’s RDA.

Zinc

All berries contain high levels of Zinc, but raspberries have the highest of all fruits. Zinc is the nutrient that aids growth (of everything from hair to nails, babies to plants). As human sperm is packed with zinc, and because it’s the mineral that makes the male hormone testosterone, zinc is the nutrient most associated with sex. Infertility, loss of sex drive and impotence are attributable to a deficiency in zinc, so eating strawberries and raspberries is beneficial to a healthy sex life. Zinc helps give men harder erections and strengthens sperm.

Antioxidant Power

The big buzzword in health and nutrition is antioxidants. Put simply, the exhaust fumes of the body are called oxidants. When we breathe in car exhaust, cigarette smoke or polluted air, eat burnt or fried foods, and tan our skin we expose ourselves to oxidants. This ages us faster and increases the risk of many diseases, including cancer. The only reversal to this is exposure to antioxidants. Strawberries and raspberries are among the best all-round foods for anti-ageing antioxidants. Berries have a higher antioxidant content than any other fruit. 5 Strawberries contain more antioxidant power than 3 apples or 4 bananas.

Anti-cancer Nutrients

Strawberries and raspberries are top anti-cancer foods as they are exceptionally high in four known anti- cancer nutrients: anthocyanins, ellagic acid, isothiocyanates and quercitin. These nutrients are not found in any multi-vitamin pill.

Nitrosamine, a common cancer-producing chemical found in some meats is put out of action by strawberries.

In fact, research:

1. Has shown that strawberries are second only to garlic for their anti-cancer properties against nitrosamines.
2. According to research at the Indiana University School of Medicine in the US, ellegic acid in strawberries and raspberries protect healthy cells from developing into cancer cells Isothyiocyanates don’t just help prevent cancer, they reverse it by killing cancer cells. Strawberries and raspberries have been shown to inhibit cancer development in cervical.
3. Oesophageal
4. Oral cancer.

The Mayo Clinic in the US is currently conducting research into quercitin to help treat and prevent prostrate cancer, the fastest rising cancer now affecting 1 in 6 men at some point in their life. Mayo Clinic researcher Dr. Nianzeng Xing has found quercitin blocks the androgen activity which in turn prevents or stops the growth of prostrate cancer cells.

Quercitin – the Antidote to Hayfever, Eczema and Asthma

Strawberries and raspberries are nature’s cure for hayfever, eczema and asthma.

The high quercitin content inhibits the release of histamine which helps mitigate conditions brought on by these types of allergin. Quercitin, along with other bioflavanoids in berries, also improves the health of capillaries and connective tissues which can help alleviate bruising, oedema, varicose veins, and fragile capillaries.

Vitamin C

Strawberries, closely followed by raspberries, contain the most vitamin C per calorie than any other fruit. British strawberries and raspberries are the only home-grown fruit containing significant amounts. There is more vitamin C in 5 strawberries than there is in an orange. A high dietary in-take of vitamin C halves the risk of cancer, prevents colds and infections, and promotes healthy, firm skin (collagen, the glue between skin cells, is made of vitamin C).

Strawberries fruit for healthy skin