Strawberries at a Farmers Market
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Red Berry Revelation

 

As the warm weather rolls around, there is a substantial amount of excellent produce at hand. One of the best spring/summer bloomers happens to be strawberries. Whether they are eaten alone, used in as a tasty additive to water, or in a dish, there are incredible benefits to these delicious berries.

 

If you’re not already a fan of strawberries, you should be. Not only are they juicy, summery and delicious, they’re a bona fide superfood, too. Nutrient-rich and packed with antioxidants (like vitamin C), strawberries offer a wide range of health benefits, some of which may surprise you. (Wrinkle-prevention? Yes please!).

 

Strawberries improve eyesight! The antioxidant properties in strawberries help to prevent cataracts. Our eyes require vitamin C to protect them from exposure to the sun’s harsh UV rays, which can damage the protein in the eye’s lens. Vitamin C also plays an important role in strengthening the eye’s cornea and retina.

 

It gets better…strawberries, with their impressive content of antioxidants and detoxifiers can effectively help eliminate such health hazards as arthritis. It is a famous saying in India that a serving of any fruit every day will remove the “rust” from the joints. This old saying is definitely true for strawberries, since it has very powerful anti-inflammatory abilities to ease inflammation and pain.

 

Lastly, the cherry (or strawberry) on top, strawberries contain potassium, vitamin K and magnesium, which are important for bone health.

 

For us Santa Barbara locals, we are in serious luck. If you have not experienced Harry’s Berries yet, I highly recommend putting it on your to-do list. Not only do they have some of the most incredible organic strawberries around, but they have even been written up in the New York Times!

 

The strawberry has been hailed as “the queen of fruits” because of its rich nutritional. Do your body and taste buds a favor and hit your local farmers’ market for some of these wonderful little gems.