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13Strawberry juice - scientifically proven beneficial properties and contraindications
Tkacheva Natalia, phytotherapist, nutritionist
Eliseeva Tatyana, editor-in-chief of the EdaPlus.info project.
E-mail: tkacheva.n@edaplus.info, eliseeva.t@edaplus.info
Abstract. Strawberry juice is not only tasty, but also a very healthy dessert that will help to fully enrich the body with all the necessary vitamins and minerals and without the use of pharmaceutical products, it is guaranteed to relieve many health problems. Improve memory and mental functions, reduce inflammation of the internal organs and the genitourinary system, improve the liver and reduce pressure.
Key words: strawberries, strawberry juice , useful properties, contraindications, composition, calorie content
The first mention of the progenitors of strawberries can be found in the tracts of ancient healers. But the berry became most famous only in the 18th century AD, when the first varieties of large-fruited garden strawberries , or strawberries, were bred in Europe . Currently, there are more than 300 different varieties of this plant all over the world in various shapes, aromas and colors. After all, strawberries are not only the usual red color, but also pink, white and even black (dark cherry).
A variety of desserts are prepared from tasty and juicy berries, used for cosmetic purposes, and useful strawberry juice is obtained from them, which is widely used in modern folk medicine.
Composition and calories
Despite the sweetness, strawberries belong to the category of low-calorie foods - there are only 38 kcal per 100 grams. In addition, they contain a lot of water (90.9%), a minimum of fats and proteins (0.6%
and 0.3%) and relatively few carbohydrates - 7.8%. [1] This unique composition allows you to include delicious strawberry juice in a variety of diet menus without risk to your figure.
Strawberries are a rich source of nutrients - they allow you to fully saturate the body during diets with all the vitamins and minerals it needs. Here is just a small list of trace elements that are contained in the delicious bright red fresh juice:
• Potassium (135 mg). One of the key trace elements that affect the balanced functioning of the body. Regulates water-salt balance and heart function, promotes vasodilation and reduces blood pressure [2] , prevents the risk of allergic reactions and reduces swelling, helps in the rapid recovery of muscle tissue.
• Magnesium (21 mg). The lack of a microelement can manifest itself in a feeling of constant fatigue and insomnia, frequent mood swings. Additional intake of magnesium allows you to get rid of convulsions, muscle spasms, helps to improve sleep, normalize heart rate and blood pressure, improve calcium absorption. [3]
• Phosphorus (12 mg). It improves the growth of bone tissue [4] and brain function (used in the treatment of Parkinson's disease [5] ), the body needs it for energy production and the full formation of fetal RNA and DNA, prevents the development of cardiovascular diseases, and normalizes the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
• Vitamin C (11.3 mg). Ascorbic acid is a powerful antioxidant - it strengthens the walls of blood vessels and the cardiovascular system as a whole, improves immunity [6] and helps to fight viruses and colds more effectively, protects against scurvy and oncology [7] , improves metabolism and stimulates the production of the body's own collagen [8] .
• Choline, or vitamin B4 (6.6 mg). It protects cell membranes and has anti-atherosclerotic properties, improves cognitive functions [9] , is considered a natural antidepressant, prevents the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease [10] and prostate diseases, improves sperm motility.
The fragrant berries also contain a unique BCAA complex, called the athlete's complex, and consisting of three branched-chain amino acids: isoleucine (0.016 g), valine (0.019 g), leucine (0.034 g). It helps to restore muscle tissue [11] and normalize blood sugar levels, improves energy metabolism, increases the body's endurance and the effectiveness of sports training.
Top 9 Health Benefits of Strawberry Juice
1. Helps Maintain Cognitive Function
Studies show that the systematic use of foods rich in natural flavonoids, which include strawberry juice, contributes to effective support for cognitive abilities. [12] Add a delicious natural drink to your daily menu to improve memory and mental functions.
2. Effective in the fight against male infertility
The conducted experiments confirm that the juice of fresh strawberries has unique protective functions - it effectively protects against oxidative damage to the testicles and prevents the development of male infertility. [13]
3. Reduces the risk of developing hypertension
Rich in a variety of vitamins, microelements and polyphenols, strawberry juice has a positive effect on the state of the whole organism as a whole. Including contributes to the improvement of the
cardiovascular system and lowering blood pressure. [14] Protect your heart with delicious and fragrant strawberry juice!
4. Heals the genitourinary system
Strawberries have a unique nutritional composition. It contains a variety of microelements, vitamins, minerals, rare amino acids and phenolic compounds, which provide a powerful antioxidant [15] and antimicrobial effect on the body - they help to effectively fight inflammatory processes in internal organs, including diseases of the kidneys and genitourinary system.
5. Effectively used in the treatment of osteoarthritis
It has been proven that the systematic use of strawberry juice has a positive effect on the well-being of patients suffering from knee osteoarthritis - the dietary supplement has an effective analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect. [16]
6. Improves blood composition
Strawberries increase the resistance of blood cells to the oxidative process. Studies show that the systematic use of fresh strawberries and products derived from them, including juice, improves the antioxidant properties of blood plasma, increases the resistance of red blood cells to destruction and decay due to oxidation. [17]
7. Heals blood vessels
Rich in useful substances and trace elements, strawberries help strengthen the walls of blood vessels, normalize blood circulation processes, and reduce the risk of bleeding. [18]
8. Reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease
Adding healthy strawberry juice to the diet menu has a positive effect on lowering the level of "bad" cholesterol in the blood, which significantly reduces the risk of developing coronary heart disease and other cardiovascular diseases. [19]
9. Protects against cancer
Strawberries contain a powerful antioxidant, ellagic acid. [20] The substance reduces the activity of free radicals - protects the cells of the body from destruction and premature aging, has anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects. [21]
Contraindications and features of the use of strawberry juice
Despite all its benefits, strawberries can also be harmful. In particular, it can cause allergic reactions in atopic patients. [22] In addition, strawberry juice, which belongs to the category of fairly strong allergens, should be carefully introduced into the menu of babies. It is better to introduce the baby to a new product for them, starting from the age of 3, and carefully monitor the reaction of their body.
It should also be remembered that all fruit juices, which include strawberry, contain sugar, which increases the risk of tooth decay. [23] For this reason, dentists recommend drinking strawberry juice through a straw to reduce the possibility of contact of the sugary liquid with tooth enamel, and also advise thoroughly rinsing the mouth after tasting drinks.
For maximum saturation of the body with useful microelements and vitamins, it is recommended for adults to drink about two glasses of freshly prepared strawberry juice during the day, for children - 1 glass. Fresh can be consumed in its natural form, mixed with other drinks (banana, lime, lemon juice) and ingredients. In particular, it goes well with kefir, yogurt, cottage cheese, and other dairy products.
How to make strawberry juice
On the shelves of modern supermarkets you can find a wide variety of products, including strawberry juice. But still, the most useful is a self-made drink, since it does not contain preservatives and other additives. To make juice, choose ripe fragrant berries (because, as experiments show, aroma directly affects the taste of the product [24] ), collected on your own plot or purchased from a trusted seller who does not use pesticides in the growing process.
Before processing, thoroughly rinse the berries from dirt and dust and immediately start squeezing -prolonged storage of wet fruits leads to their rapid deterioration. For extraction, you can use a blender, a regular or auger juicer. It is better to eat the prepared juice immediately before oxidation processes begin in it, or you can leave it in the refrigerator, but not more than for a few hours. If during the processing process it turned out too much of a drink and it is not possible to drink it at a time, then you can pre-heat it and preserve it for long-term storage or pour it into zip bags and freeze it. The latter option allows you to save a maximum of useful substances. [25]
Literature
1. Strawberry juice, 100% https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/2344826/nutrients
2. Adrogue, HJ, & Madias, N.E. (2014, May). The impact of sodium and potassium on hypertension risk. In Seminars in nephrology (Vol. 34, No. 3, pp. 257-272). WB Saunders. DOI: 10.1016/j.semnephrol.2014.04.003
3. Volpe, S.L. (2015). Magnesium and the Athlete. Current sports medicine reports, 14(4), 279283. DOI: 10.1249/JSR.0000000000000178
4. Ciosek, Z., Kot, K., Kosik-Bogacka, D., Lanocha-Arendarczyk, N., & Rotter, I. (2021). The effects of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, fluoride, and lead on bone tissue. Biomolecules, 11(4), 506. DOI: 10.3390/biom11040506
5. Xiong, S., Li, Z., Liu, Y., Wang, Q., Luo, J., Chen, X., ... & Chen, T. (2020). Brain-targeted delivery shuttled by black phosphorus nanostructure to treat Parkinson's disease. Biomaterials, 260, 120339. DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2020.120339
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7. Bottger, F., Valles-Marti, A., Cahn, L., & Jimenez, CR (2021). High-dose intravenous vitamin C, a promising multi-targeting agent in the treatment of cancer. Journal of experimental & clinical cancer research, 40(1), 1-44. DOI: 10.1186/s13046-021-02134-y
8. Gershoff, S.N. (1993). Vitamin C (ascorbic acid): new roles, new requirements?. Nutrition reviews, 51(11), 313-326. DOI: 10.1111/ j.1753-4887.1993.tb 03757.x
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11. Shimomura, Y., Murakami, T., Nakai, N., Nagasaki, M., & Harris, R. A. (2004). Exercise promotes BCAA catabolism: effects of BCAA supplementation on skeletal muscle during exercise. The Journal of nutrition, 134(6), 1583S-1587S. DOI: 10.1093/jn/134.6.1583S
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13. Erukainure, OL, Salau, VF, Oyenihi, AB, Mshicileli, N., Chukwuma, CI, & Islam, MS (2021). Strawberry fruit (Fragaria x ananassa Romina) juice attenuates oxidative imbalance with concomitant modulation of metabolic indices linked to male infertility in testicular oxidative injury. Andrologia, 53(9), e14175. DOI: 10.1111/and.14175
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(2022). Ellagic acid as a potent anticancer drug: A comprehensive review on in vitro, in vivo, in silico, and drug delivery studies. Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry, 69(6), 23232356. DOI: 10.1002/bab.2288
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24. Yan, JW, Ban, ZJ, Lu, HY, Li, D., Poverenov, E., Luo, ZS, & Li, L. (2018). The aroma volatile repertoire in strawberry fruit: A review. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 98(12), 4395-4402. DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.9039
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Received 06.13.2023 Strawberry juice - scientifically proven health benefits and contraindications
Tkacheva Natalia, phytotherapist, nutritionist
Eliseeva Tatyana, editor-in-chief of the EdaPlus.info project.
E-mail: tkacheva.n@edaplus.info, eliseeva.t@edaplus.info
Abstract. Strawberry juice is not only tasty, but also a very healthy dessert, which will help to fully enrich the body with all the necessary vitamins and minerals and without the use of pharmacies is guaranteed to get rid of many health problems. It will improve memory and thinking functions, reduce inflammation of internal organs and urinary system, improve liver health and lower blood pressure.
