Strawberry is a highly nutritious fruit. Like pineapples, it has a mildly sour and sweet taste (1).
Although we can eat this fruit fresh, its juice is quite popular. It is also available in the form of jellies.
Strawberry is used in a variety of dishes, such as ice cream, milkshakes, and jam.
In addition to being very tasty, strawberry juice offers several health benefits. Keep reading to find them out.
Nutrition Facts
Strawberry juice has just 38 calories and 7.8 grams of carbs per 100 grams. Water makes up as much as 90% of strawberry juice. Therefore, it could be an excellent choice for a weight loss diet.
It also has an impressive amount of vitamin C, which is vital for your immune system and skin health.
Besides, it has a substantial amount of essential minerals, such as iron, zinc, and folate. All these minerals may help prevent hair loss.
Also, folate and iron are essential minerals for pregnant women, both of which prevent anemia and preterm birth.
According to the USDA, strawberry juice provides the following nutrients per 100 grams serving (2).
- Water: 90.9 grams
- Calories: 38 kcal
- Protein: 0.3 grams
- Fat: 0.6 grams
- Carbohydrate: 7.8 grams
- Fiber: 0.1 grams
- Sugar: 7.7 grams
- Calcium: 12 mg – 1% of the Daily Value (DV)
- Iron: 0.48 mg (2.5% of the DV)
- Magnesium: 21 mg (5% of the DV)
- Potassium: 135 mg (3% of the DV)
- Vitamin C: 11.3 mg (13% of the DV)
- Zinc: 0.41 mg (4% of the DV)
- Folate: 10 mcg (2.5% of the DV)
Health Benefits of Strawberry Juice
1. May improve your gut health
Strawberry gets its color from a pigment called anthocyanin, which also acts as an antioxidant.
Anthocyanins in strawberry juice may improve your gut health by promoting healthy gut bacteria (3).
It also helps reduce the risk of heart diseases and improves your brain function (4).
2. May help treat ulcers
Ulcerative colitis is a condition, which causes inflammation in your intestine.
Interestingly, the antioxidants in strawberry juice appear to be beneficial for treating ulcerative colitis (5).
Moreover, a study on rats shows that strawberry may protect you from stomach ulcers and help ulcers heal (6).
3. May help prevent aging
Aging has several predisposing factors, and oxidative stress is one of them.
Drinking strawberry juice keeps you look young, as it reduces oxidative stress (7).
Additionally, regular consumption of strawberry juice may help you reduce the risk of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases (8).
4. May protect your liver
A high intake of chemical pain relievers, such as paracetamol or other drugs, may damage your liver.
Thanks to the antioxidant-rich strawberry juice, which has liver-protective effects.
Several studies on rats have shown that strawberry alleviates liver damage caused by a cancer drug called doxorubicin (9, 10).
5. May reduce the risk of heart diseases
High levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) in your blood may increase the risk of stroke and heart diseases.
Research on humans shows that the consumption of strawberry may lower the risk of heart diseases by reducing both total and LDL cholesterol levels (11, 12).
What’s more, the abundance of potassium in strawberry juice may help reduce your blood pressure.
6. May help manage diabetes
Strawberry has a low glycemic index (GI) of 41, which means it will not raise your blood sugar levels rapidly.
Furthermore, research says the antioxidants in strawberries may help reduce blood sugar levels (13).
Therefore, its juice may help you manage diabetes if you drink without any added sugars.
However, eating whole strawberry fruit is more beneficial for diabetes, since it has a higher amount of dietary fiber than its juice.
7. May help prevent cancer
Finally, it is necessary to say that consuming strawberry juice may help you reduce the risk of cancer.
The anthocyanins in strawberries have anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties (14).
Also, a study has found that the extract of strawberries reduces the growth of cancer cells (15).
How to prepare?
Just take 2 cups of rinsed strawberries and cut them into small pieces.
Then add ice cubes or cold water and sugars as needed. Finally, blend until smooth.
You can also make delicious smoothies and milkshakes using strawberries.
Conclusion:
The benefits of strawberries go far beyond their sweet taste. Natural strawberry juice is a nutrient-dense that can boost your immunity. It also tastes well and acts as an excellent substitute for unhealthy oily foods.