Fresh, organic strawberries are temptingly red, juicy, sweet-smelling and are absolute treats in the warmer months. They not only make delicious snacks on their own, but these summer fruits are also great healthy ingredients to use for a variety of recipes, such as pastries, desserts, salads, jams, jellies and smoothies.

But being useful in the kitchen isn’t all there is to strawberries. Packed with plenty of nutrients and health benefits, these versatile fruits can also be used as a natural home remedy for pain.

Strawberries can help reduce osteoarthritis pain

Back in 2017, researchers from Oklahoma and Nevada studied how freeze-dried strawberries can help obese adults who are suffering from knee osteoarthritis. This disease — the most common form of arthritis — is a consequence of the cartilage that protects the ends of bones being worn down.

The pain caused by osteoarthritis, especially in the joints, can be so severe, to the point where it becomes disabling. This, along with other factors, can trigger sleep disturbances and depression in osteoarthritis sufferers.

But the researchers found that drinking a beverage made from freeze-dried strawberries for 12 weeks considerably helped the participants in their study. The osteoarthritis sufferers all reported that the strawberry drink lessened the constant, intermittent and total pain they felt because of their condition significantly.

The researchers also looked at the chemical markers in the participants’ blood samples and found that strawberries can reduce inflammation. In osteoarthritis, inflammation is partly to blame for the destruction of cartilage. It is further aggravated by obesity as the accumulation of fat cells promotes inflammation while excess weight puts more stress on the affected joint.

These remarkable effects of strawberries on osteoarthritis pain convinced the researchers that the fruit can serve as a natural medicine not just for osteoarthritis, but also for other conditions that involve both inflammation and pain.

Strawberries 101

Although widely considered as berries, strawberries are technically not berries. In fact, the fruits of the strawberry plant aren’t even the fleshy parts that people eat, but the small seed-like things attached to their surface. Because strawberries are produced in a cluster by a single flower and their flesh comes from the receptacle of that flower, they are considered accessory fruits. Strawberries are also aggregate fruits because they consist of numerous small achenes — dry, one-seeded fruits — embedded in a fleshy pulp.

Regardless of classification, strawberries are nutritious, low-calorie and low-cholesterol fruits that make great additions to a healthy diet. You can get the following nutrients from one cup of sliced, fresh organic strawberries:

• Calories: 53
• Protein: 1.11 g or 2.2 percent of your daily value (DV)
• Carbohydrates: 12.75 g
• Dietary fiber: 3.30 g (13 percent DV)
• Sugar: 8.12 g
• Total fat: 0.50 g
• Vitamin A: 20 International Units (IU, or 0.4 percent DV)
• Vitamin C: 97.60 mg (162.6 percent DV)
• Vitamin K: 3.70 mg (4.6 percent DV)
• Calcium: 27 mg (2.7 percent DV)
• Iron: 0.68 mg (3.8 percent DV)
• Magnesium: 22 mg (5.5 percent DV)
• Potassium: 254 mg (5.4 percent DV)

Besides being an excellent source of vitamin C, strawberries are also rich in polyphenols like anthocyanins, which have powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and antimicrobial properties.

Here are the wonderful health benefits you can get from eating strawberries: (h/t to BestHealthMag.ca)

• Enhanced immunity
• Cataract prevention
• Cancer prevention
• Improved skin elasticity and resilience
• Lower blood cholesterol
• Reduced inflammation
• Lower blood pressure
• Improved digestion
• Healthy weight management
• Improved prenatal health

Because of these benefits, strawberries have been labeled as healthy whole foods, functional foods and superfoods. Eating more of these fruits will not only boost your nutrient intake, but it will also help you maintain a healthy weight. This is because strawberries contain large amounts of water and fiber, which can help reduce your food intake by keeping you feeling full for longer.

Sources:

Mom.com

MayoClinic.org

MDPI.com 1

MDPI.com 2

Arthritis.org

MasterClass.com

FairchildGarden.org ^[PDF]

SweetGum.NYBG.org

EverydayHealth.com

BestHealthMag.ca