7 amazing health benefits of strawberries

From long, hot days spent fruit picking to tucking into strawberries and cream at Wimbledon, strawberries are a British summer favourite.

Although they are in season from late spring until October (if the conditions allow it), these plump, juicy berries are always at their best during the summer – and they are often at their healthiest during peak season, too.

If you are a strawberry lover, then you’ll be pleased to know that they are one of the healthiest fruits you can find. They’re a fantastic source of vitamin C and antioxidants, and they can also give our bodies a boost in lots of other ways.

Here are our favourite health benefits of our favourite summer fruit:

Strawberries are rich in vitamin

Strawberries are a nutritional powerhouse and can feed our bodies all kinds of goodness. They are fantastic sources of vitamins C and K, as well as fibre, manganese, potassium and folate, which is key for healthy pregnancies. They also contain plenty of phytonutrients and flavonoids, which give them that gorgeous red hue.

Immune Boost

Thanks to their rich vitamin C content (just one serving is more than enough to give you your RDA), strawberries are a great way of boosting the immune system and helping you to fight off bugs and nasties. As a potent antioxidant, Vitamin C is also fantastic at helping us to fight off serious conditions because they can help our bodies to neutralise free radicals. In particular, strawberries contain flavonoids, which have been linked to fighting cancer and tumours.

Strawberries beautify skin

Strawberries can also help us to stay beautiful, giving us plumped up, fresher skin. This is thanks to their high amounts of vitamin C, which supports the body in producing collagen. Since vitamin C also fights free radicals, it can also help us to prevent fine lines, wrinkles and premature ageing.

Celebrity facialist Nuz Shugaa combines fresh strawberries into her signature body scrub treatment.

Healthy eyes

The flavonoids and phenolic phytocehmicals found in our beloved strawberries are also great at helping our eyes to stay healthy as they are thought to reduce our risk of conditions such as macular degeneration.

Meanwhile, the vitamin C content can also help to protect our eyes from free-radicals from the sun’s harsh UV rays, as well as strengthening the cornea and retina.

Low Glycemic Index

Since strawberries are low in GI, they don’t cause huge spikes in our blood sugars when we enjoy them. They are also rich in fibre, which helps to prevent sugar spikes, and can also help our body to keep the digestive system ticking along.

Improves Mood

Amazingly, these flavourful, delicious berries can also help us to regular our mood. This is because their seeds contain alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid which has been found to boost the mood.

Anti-inflammatory

The antioxidants found in strawberries have anti-inflammatory benefits and may even ease symptoms of arthritis.

Surprisingly, strawberries are also great at helping to protect us from allergies. This is because they are anti-inflammatory and contain a special flavonoid known as fisetin. Fisetin works to help our body’s immune system to control inflammatory reactions to potential allergens.

Add some fresh chopped or blended strawberries to your Strawberry Protein Smoothie for an extra healthy boost of nutrients.