Vitamins and Minerals Found Inside Strawberries

Strawberries are loaded with nutrients our bodies seek, but what I find truly exciting about strawberries is their ellagic acid content.

Ellagic acid is a unique enzyme that reduces and often neutralizes the damaging effects of the carcinogen PAH (commonly found in cigarette smoke and second-hand smoke).

The delicate heart-shaped strawberry has always implied purity, passion and healing. It has been used in stories, literature and paintings through the ages. But even more important, strawberries can be both nutritious and extremely delicious when juiced alone and with other ingredients.

Here are a few of the questions we attempt to answer about strawberries.

• What vitamins and minerals are in Strawberries that make them so good for us?
• What is the best method for juicing Strawberries?
• What are some great buying tips for Strawberries?

Plus, we'll do our best to provide some general information about strawberries that you might not find so easily elsewhere on the Internet.

Let's learn more about strawberries...

Vitamins and Minerals in Strawberries

I love strawberries! All berries are good for you but strawberries are among the very best. Allowed to ripen naturally they are a fantastic source of vitamin C and natural sugars that cleanse the system. Ounce for ounce, strawberries are considered a better source for vitamin C than even oranges! High in potassium and iron, which is good for strengthening the blood, here is a snapshot of the vitamins and minerals in strawberries...

Vitamins in Strawberries

• Vitamin A
• Vitamin C
• Folate (important during pregnancy)
• Also contains trace amounts of other vitamins including; Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, B-complex Vitamins, Choline, and Pantothenic Acid.

Minerals in Strawberries

• Potassium
• Phosphorus
• Calcium
• Magnesium
• Selenium
• Iron
• Manganese
• Fluoride
• Also contains trace amounts of zinc and copper.

IMPORTANT: Unfortunately, some people may exhibit an anaphylactoid response when they eat strawberries. The most common form of this reaction is Oral allergy syndrome, but symptoms may also mimic Hay fever or include dermatitis or hives, and in severe cases may cause breathing problems.

Some research suggests that the allergen may be tied to the red pigment of most strawberry cultivars, and as such white/colorless strawberry cultivars may present a possible option for strawberry allergy sufferers. Others suggest the reaction (if mild) might be a reaction to eating strawberries that are not fully ripe.

If you do have a reaction when eating strawberries, consult with your doctor before juicing them (and/or eating them).

If you are not allergic to strawberries, the next time you think about strawberries... think about how they might add a powerful boost to your daily nutrition through juicing or in your fruit smoothies.

Juicing Tips for Juicing Strawberries

Juicing Strawberries can add both flavor and valuable nutrients to most any home-juiced cocktail. In fact, drinking strawberry juice is a terrific way to get the full benefits of these marvelous berries.

Here are a few tips for juicing strawberries that may help turn your juicing experience into something you look forward to and thoroughly enjoy.

After thoroughly cleaning your strawberries, they can be popped into your juicer whole.

If your juicer has more than one speed, use the slowest speed when juicing strawberries.

Because the juice is quite thick, you might want to mix it with other juices to thin it. For examples, they go great with grape juice and they also taste great when mixed with pineapple juice.

You will want to use strawberries that are fully ripened on the vine. The longer strawberries stay on the plant, the more vitamin C they contain -- and the better they taste!

Just a few strawberries can strongly influence the taste of most any juice. Experiment to get the best mix of flavors as you go.

Purchasing Tips for Buying Strawberries

If you are unable to grow your own strawberries, then here are a few tips for buying strawberries that may help you get the freshest ingredients. We'll also include a few storing tips for strawberries that you might find helpful.

If you live near a farm that grows pick-your-own strawberries, you will want to go there during their early-summer season so you get sweet, juicy, sun-ripened berries.

Irrigated commercial farms (such as in California and other agricultural states) are less tasty than those grown on small farms but they are still a good choice for regular juicing.

Select red, firm, fragrant berries with a slight shine and with the little green cap still attached.

Wash your strawberries in cold water and dry them stem side down on absorbent paper or cloth towels.

When they are dry, store your strawberries loosely in an open paper bag in the refrigerator where they will last for a few days.

General Information About Strawberries

This article wouldn't be complete if we didn't include a little general information about Strawberries, as well as a few helpful links if you want to explore Strawberries further.

The strawberry belongs to the genus Fragraria in the rose family, along with apples and plums. The name of the scientific classification was derived from the Old Latin word for fragrant. The modern Italian word for strawberry is still "Fragola".

The English and French used the beautiful heart-shaped strawberries to landscape their gardens. In fourteenth-century France, Charles V ordered twelve hundred strawberry plants to be grown in the Royal Gardens of the Louvre.

The second wife of Henry VIII, Queen Anne Boleyn (1507-36), had a strawberry-shaped birthmark on her neck. Unfortunately, some claimed this fact proved she was a witch.

The strawberry is recognized as representing absolute perfection in the Victorian language of flowers.

Medieval stonemasons carved strawberry designs on altars and around the tops of pillars in churches and cathedrals, symbolizing perfection and righteousness.

Also in medieval times, strawberries were served at important state occasions and festivals to ensure peace and prosperity.

The strawberry is not classified by botanists as a true berry. True berries, such as blueberries and cranberries have seeds inside. The strawberry, however has its dry, yellow "seeds" on the outside (each of which is actually considered a separate fruit).

On the average, there are 200 tiny seeds on every strawberry.

The USA is the largest producer of strawberries in the world. In fact, if all the strawberries produced in California this year were laid berry to berry, they'd wrap around the world 15 times. That's enough strawberries to provide every U.S. household with 12 pint baskets.

One acre of land (about the size of one football field) grows about 50,000 pounds of strawberries - that's about the same weight as 4 elephants!

The wide distribution of wild strawberries is largely from seeds sown by birds. It seems that when birds eat the wild berries the seeds pass through them intact and in reasonably good condition. The germinating seeds respond to light rather than moisture and therefore need no covering of earth to start growing.

One cup of fresh, fully ripened strawberries provides about 88 milligrams of ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), which more than meets the Recommended Daily Dietary allowance of 45 milligrams for the average adult.

If you're expecting a baby, you'll be very interested in some of the new discoveries about folic acid. In fact, 8 strawberries have 20% of the folic acid you need every day.

Fresh juice from sieved strawberry pulp (juiced in a juicer) has a cooling effect on feverish patients.

Strawberry juice combined with honey is said to reduce inflammation or sunburn. Rub the mixture thoroughly into the skin before rinsing off with warm water and lemon juice. (Important Note: NEVER apply lemon juice to any skin that will be exposed to the sun within 24 hours of applying!)

Did you know that strawberries rank number two among the top ten fruits in antioxidant capacity?

Strawberries are a good source of pectin and other soluble fibers that help lower cholesterol. In fact, as well as being nutrient-rich, strawberries also provide an abundance of heart-health benefits. Strawberries help control three of the risk factors associated with heart disease: high cholesterol, high blood pressure and high homocysteine levels.

Cooking does not destroy ellagic acid, so even strawberry pie and jam may be beneficial!

All strawberries are picked, sorted and packed by hand in the field. The trays of strawberries are then rushed to shipping facilities where they are cooled-down to about 34 degrees Fahrenheit. (A tray normally contains 12 one-pint baskets.) Within 24 hours of harvest, the strawberries are loaded on refrigerated trucks for delivery to local supermarkets across the country.

Currently about two percent of the California strawberry crop is certified organic by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA).

Ever eaten a double strawberry? Legend holds that if you break it in half and share it with a member of the opposite sex, you will soon fall in love with each other.

Additional Sources and Resources for Strawberries

• California Strawberry Commission (loaded with info and classroom activities)
• University of Illinois Extension - Strawberries and More
• NutritionData.com - Strawberries, raw
• Wikipedia - Garden Strawberry

Be sure to check out both our "Juicing" and our "Smoothies" sections for delicious recipes and more using Strawberries!