10 Surprising Strawberry Benefits for Your Health and Wellness

1.Ward Off Colds-Strawberries are jam-packed with vitamins. In fact, you only need to eat around 5 large berries to get 98% of your daily value of vitamin C. This vitamin plays a crucial role in maintaining a healthy immune system—helping your body avoid sicknesses and recover more quickly.

2.Protect Your Heart-Studies have shown that regularly consuming anthocyanin's—which are found in strawberries—can reduce the risk of heart attack. Plus, strawberries may aid in preventing platelet build-up and even reducing blood pressure.

3.Support a Healthy Pregnancy-One of the most commonly recommended supplements for pregnant women is folate or folic acid, which is instrumental in a baby’s development. Happily, strawberries are a great natural source of this nutrient—one cup of fresh berries has around 40 micrograms of folate! 

4.Reduce Inflammation-Inflammation can cause a number of problems in the body—chronic inflammation has even been linked to serious conditions such as stroke, heart attacks and cancer. Strawberries have anti-inflammatory properties that can help promote all-around well being.

5.Plump Your Lips-Want to smooth, soften and plump your lips before date night? It’s incredibly easy to make a DIY strawberry lip scrub. Just mix together two mashed strawberries with two teaspoons of sugar, then rub gently on your lips to exfoliate. Wipe the mixture off, then pucker up!

6.Improve Digestion-You probably know fiber is a key nutrient for your digestive system, and fiber-rich strawberries are a great way to get a little extra in your diet. They also have a high water content, so they’ll keep things moving and help prevent constipation.

7.Manage High Blood Pressure-Strawberries are high in potassium, which helps them negate the effects of sodium in the body. (These delicious foods can help lower blood pressure, too.) Even if you don’t have high blood pressure, you can probably benefit from more potassium—only around 2 percent of Americans meet the recommended daily intake of this key nutrient!

8.Soften Your Skin-This two-ingredient DIY face mask will leave your skin feeling refreshed. Mix two or three mashed strawberries with two tablespoons of honey, then spread on your skin. Let it work its magic for 10 to 15 minutes, then rinse off with warm water.

9.Regulate Blood Sugar-Strawberries have a lower glycemic index than other fruits, making them helpful when it comes to regulating blood sugar levels. Studies have even shown that eating strawberries every day can reduce complications related to diabetes.

10.Whiten Your Teeth-Swap out expensive whitening strips for a pint of strawberries. This fruit can help whiten thanks to its malic acid content. Just mash together one strawberry and a small scoop of baking soda, then spread onto your teeth with a toothbrush. Rinse off after a few minutes and repeat weekly for pearly whites.