Article By: John Fontana

Besides chocolate, strawberries are perhaps the one food most commonly associated with sex. Pop culture has done a great job of placing strawberries in the hands of beautiful and seductive women for years, making it just about the sexiest food there is. Personally, strawberries have always been my favorite fruit, and that’s even before I could register their correlation with sex. There is something about a ripe, perfectly red strawberry that is extremely appetizing.

But the appeal of strawberries shouldn’t just be about aesthetics. They boast a very real heath appeal as well. Most people know strawberries are healthy, but the amount of health benefits is not widely recognized. For example, did you realize they had Omega-3 fatty acids in them? Didn’t think so. Keep reading and get ready to be awed.

Why So Healthy?

Fight Cancer

So you’re aware that strawberries are filled with antioxidants, but do you know how powerful those antioxidants are? Strawberry extracts have been shown to fight against both cervical and breast cancer. Studies have also shown that strawberries reduce the likelihood of tumors forming.

Prevent Arthritis

Phenols are a type of phytonutrient found in strawberries that help promote this amazing antioxidant activity. These phenols help fight the free radicals in our bodies that can sometimes develop into illness or disease. Cyclooxygenase (COX) is an enzyme found in the body that has been linked to arthritis and other types of inflammation. The phenols in strawberries can block COX and work as a pain reliever.

Get Your Vitamins

Vitamin C is also found in abundance in Strawberries (130+ % of daily value), in addition to manganese and potassium. One cup only yields 43 calories and contains valuable fiber and fatty acids.

Perhaps all the imagery of gorgeous women eating strawberries isn’t just about selling sex. Maybe the media’s actually known about strawberries’ major health impacts all along. If their taste alone wasn’t enough reason for you to start consistently eating them, their health benefits should.

How To Eat?

Go Organic

After all the positives, there is only one major drawback to strawberries. They have been recognized as one of the most contaminated fruits when it comes to pesticides and other chemicals. Conventional store-bought strawberries are loaded with sprays that make them look big and perfectly red. Unfortunately those sprays also make them full of chemicals that you should definitely avoid.

Since conventional strawberries are loaded with sprays, I highly recommend buying organic. Once you make the switch to organic, I guarantee you will taste the difference in flavor – you’ll actually start to notice the taste of chemicals in the conventional brand. It may be about a dollar more expensive to buy the organic type and they may not look quite as appetizing, but the decision will make a big difference. Buy from a local farm at a farmers market or pick them up at a health food store.
–
I encourage any questions or comments, please:

Leave a response at the bottom of the article,

E-mail me personally at jfontana@shadowfit.com

or Tweet me @johnnyfontana on Twitter