The Antioxidant Power of Strawberries

Antioxidants provide protection by neutralizing free radicals — substances in the body that can damage cells and lead to disease. Strawberries are among the top three fruits that pack this diesease-fighting punch.

Science tells us that antioxidants are key to warding off chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer and to promoting optimum health. Researchers have tested foods to understand their antioxidant capacity. One test called Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity or ORAC for short showed that strawberries are packed with antioxidants, most notably anthocyanins, the pigment that makes strawberries red. The only problem, researchers warned, is that we don’t know if the antioxidants get into the body efficiently.

Well, preliminary results from a study on strawberries conducted by Dr. Gene Spiller of the Sphera Foundation show that 30 minutes and 60 minutes after eating strawberries antioxidant levels in the body peak markedly. This reveals that the antioxidants in strawberries are efficiently absorbed. Once antioxidants are absorbed, they are able to fight free radicals—rogue compounds that wreak havoc on the body.

• Strawberries are packed with antioxidants.
• Anthocyanins are the antioxidants that make strawberries red.
• Antioxidants in strawberries are efficiently absorbed into the body.

Source:  California Strawberry Commission