How Are Strawberries Healthy?

Strawberries come in more than 600 varieties and grow in all 50 states. Although you can purchase strawberries year-round, they ripen during the late spring and summer in the United States. Unlike cakes and sugar-sweetened foods, the naturally sweet strawberry contains vitamins and nutrients. If possible, purchase organic strawberries, as the strawberry is third on the Environmental Working Group's "Dirty Dozen" list of fruits and vegetables treated with the most pesticides during the growing process.

Nutrients

Fresh strawberries contain 97.6 g of vitamin C per cup, sliced, which is more than the 90 mg per day for men and 75 mg per day for women, recommended by the Institute of Medicine's Dietary Reference Intakes. Vitamin C aids in immune system function, cell health and possibly hypertension. A cup of strawberries also contains 20 IU of vitamin A and 43 mg of lutein, which is important for your eye health. The same cup of strawberries also contains small amounts of vitamin K, 40 mcg of folate and trace amounts of vitamin B-6.

Expert Insight

Eating the equivalent of 3 cups of strawberries a day helped reduce the cholesterol levels in obese participants, according to a July 2010 study published in the journal "Nutrition Research." Lowering high cholesterol levels may help you reduce your risk of heart disease. Additionally, the antioxidants in strawberries may help prevent certain cancers. The American Institute for Cancer Research indicates that the ellagic acid in strawberries may slow the ability of cancer cells to reproduce.

Calories

Strawberries are a low-calorie fruit, with 1 cup of raw, sliced berries having just 53 calories. Unthawed, unsweetened, frozen strawberries that you can use in smoothies or sorbet contain 52 calories per cup. Because previously frozen, thawed strawberries take up less space than firm, frozen berries, 1 cup of thawed, frozen strawberries contains 77 calories. If you purchase and consume frozen, sweetened strawberries, you will consume 245 calories per thawed cup.

Strategies

Incorporating strawberries into your diet helps you meet you daily requirement of 1 1/2 to 2 cups of fruits recommended in the USDA's 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Choose fresh, raw strawberries or unsweetened frozen berries to keep the calorie count low and avoid added sugar. If you prefer a sweet strawberry, add a natural zero-calorie sweetener such as stevia. Eat strawberries in a fruit salad, add strawberries to fat-free yogurt or cooked oatmeal, serve strawberries as a snack or add to spinach salads. Avoid making high-calorie desserts with strawberries such as strawberry cake or pies to limit your consumption of saturated fats and refined sugar.