You know that candy that summons you to “taste the rainbow”? Well, we’re not telling you to taste that rainbow, but we can’t stress enough how important it is to actually eat the rainbow. You know the one… Not the one full of dye and processed sugar, but the one that’s healthy, well-rounded, full of vibrant, God-made colors of goodness and nutrition. It’s that rainbow that will bring you to a vat full of health and wellness.
And we couldn’t have a proper rainbow without the color red.
And what shade of red are we serving up today?
Strawberry!
This little fruit bursting with flavor is also bursting with incredible power.
Researchers in Europe and Latin America conducted an experiment on mice that suggested the compounds found in strawberries can work against cancer formation. They found that strawberries pack an impressive punch specifically in the battle against breast cancer.
The study’s co-author Maurizio Battino, a principal investigator at the European University of the Atlantic and the Marche Polytechnic University noted that “We have shown for the first time that strawberry extract, rich in phenolic compounds, inhibits the proliferation of breast cancer cells in in vitro and in vivo models.”
However, Battino and his team were quick to point out that these results cannot translate to humans just yet.
In the mice that were fed a diet high in strawberry extract, researchers found that cell division and inhibited migration, two key factors that lead to cancer, all but completely stopped. They were testing the effect that strawberry extract had on the highly aggressive, violent A17 tumor cells.
Battino is hopeful stating that, “These results are without a doubt valid for understanding potential effects of strawberries on breast cancer and the molecular mechanisms involved, but they must be complemented with clinical and epidemiological studies to verify whether humans experience the same positive effects as we have observed in mice.”
Want another reason to indulge in the deliciousness of strawberries?
How about the fact that they improve gut health and relieve inflammation associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)! Researchers from the University of Massachusetts Amherst have found that adding less than a cupful of strawberries to your daily diet could have the potential to actually reverse the effects of IBD. This is incredible news seeing as how IBD includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis and is also a risk factor for colorectal cancer.
Want one more reason to go get you some strawberries?
This one will shock you!
A survey of 1,000 British children ages 6-12 found that one in five didn’t know apples grow on trees, while more than 9 in 10 weren’t aware that bananas or strawberries came from plants.
Nine out of 10 kiddos don’t know where strawberries come from! If that’s not a reason to get out and go strawberry picking with your family, we don’t know what is!
It’s strawberry season and the time is ripe for the tasting!
Go out and start eating the rainbow.
While you’re at it, make sure your kids know which rainbow they need to be eating.
And make sure they know that that rainbow is sourced from the earth, not from a plastic candy wrapper.
Sources:
https://www.thespruceeats.com/all-about-strawberries-2217552