Alternative Health Blog

There was a time when blueberries were considered sort of a inconsequential fruit, no more than a filler for your muffin or pancake mix. Of course, that’s changed as researchers like James Joseph at Tufts University in Boston have deemed blueberries one of our superfoods.

Now it appears strawberries are vying for similar high-end nutritional status. A new study published in the medical journal Metabolism reports that strawberries work to lower LDL or “bad’ cholesterol. That’s impressive for a cereal topper or a courtside snack at Wimbledon.

The research was conducted by Dr. David J.A. Jenkins at the University of Toronto, who is best known for his work on the glycemic index or whether foods are digested slowly (low glycemic) or rapidly (high glycemic) by the body. Jenkins found that strawberries are even more efficient at lowering LDL cholesterol when part of an overall anti-LDL diet that is low in saturated and trans fats.

Jenkins and his colleagues followed 28 male and female volunteer subjects with high cholesterol for two-and-a-half years. All of the volunteers had been following an eating plan aimed at reducing cholesterol by consuming soy, oat bran, nuts and other plant foods with natural sterols. One group was assigned to eat three cups of strawberries per day for a month while the second group added additional servings of oat bran bread for the same period.

The strawberry eaters enjoyed an additional decrease in LDL cholesterol levels compared to the oat bran bread group, especially in terms of the LDL cholesterol not oxidizing or chemically changing to do potential damage to the heart and its arteries. What’s more, and this is no small thing, the strawberry group members reported feeling more positive about the taste and appeal of their meals than those subjects relegated to yet more servings of oat bran.

Some quick facts: One cup of strawberries is about 50 calories and only eight grams of sugar. Three cups of strawberries equates to 24, so look to buy fresh strawberries at lower cost in season (that would now through sometime in June), then opt for frozen strawberries. Eight strawberries have more vitamin C than an orange.

Life is a bowl of strawberries, or something like that, right?

Bob Condor blogs for Alternative Health Journal every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.