Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Makes Strawberries Good for You?Strawberry Nutrition InformationHow Many Strawberries Should You Eat in a Day?Interactions, Intolerance, and Allergy Symptoms
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Makes Strawberries Good for You?
Strawberry Nutrition Information
How Many Strawberries Should You Eat in a Day?
Interactions, Intolerance, and Allergy Symptoms
Strawberries may be known for their sweet taste and juicy consistency, but their health benefits extend far beyond that. This fruit contains antioxidants likevitamin Cand other vital nutrients likefolateand fiber.
Research shows that strawberries may help support the immune system,blood sugar levels, and wound healing while potentially protecting against or managing chronic health conditions likediabetes, high cholesterol, and cancer.
This article discusses the health benefits of strawberries, outlining what makes them so nutritious and how to squeeze more into your diet.
George / Getty Images
Strawberries (Fragaria x ananassa) are a good source of vitamin C,potassium, folate, andmagnesium. Also high in antioxidants, strawberries contain fiber and are naturally low in calories and fat.Researchers have identified several key areas where strawberries can help boost your health:
Which Fruits Are Best for Weight Loss?
Blood Sugar Level Maintenance
Because of strawberries' lowerglycemic index(the waycarbohydratesimpact blood sugar), they don’t prompt a spike in blood sugar levels like some other fruits may, making them an excellent option for people with diabetes.
Anti-Inflammatory and Wound-Healing Support
Compounds in strawberries that hold antioxidant properties combined with the fruit’s vitamin C can help reduce pain andinflammationfrom conditions likeosteoarthritisand promote skin healing.
Heart Health
Eating at least three servings of strawberries weekly has been shown to reduce the risk of heart attack in a study on young and middle-aged women. The fruit’santhocyanins(antioxidants),flavonoids, andpotassiumcan help lower blood pressure.
Immune System Health
The generous amount of vitamin C in strawberries can help bolster immune system cells that protect against viruses and bacteria.
Folate Boost
Strawberries can serve as a solid source offolate or vitamin B9, which is crucial for the body’s DNA maintenance and particularly important for a healthy pregnancy.
Potential Cancer Protection
The antioxidants found in strawberries might help protect against cancer. However, more research is needed on how these compounds can reduce inflammation and cancer cell spread.
Cholesterol Level Benefits
Cognitive Strengthening
Initial research suggests that eating strawberries daily can help support brain health, potentially improving cognitive processing speed and function.
A lot of nutrition benefits are packed into this tiny, juicy fruit. For example, 1 cup of strawberries amounts to:
Plus, with around 90 milligrams (mg) of vitamin C per cup, strawberries can help adults get their total dose of vitamin C per day. A cup full of the fruit’s 40 micrograms (mcg) of folate also provides around 10% of the daily recommended intake.
Everyone’s dietary needs differ based on age, medical history, overall health, and more. But for most healthy adults, just 1 cup of strawberries provides 100% of your daily vitamin C needs.
Studies have shown that eating at least 1.5 to 1.75 cups of strawberries per week seems to be the sweet spot for seeing some of the fruit’s other health benefits.
There are many ways to work this amount of strawberries into your daily routine. For example, consider:
Strawberries (and other berries) will last longer if placed in the coldest part of your refrigerator, like a produce drawer or a sealed container. If possible, eat them within three days to get the most out of their nutritional intake and freshness quality.
Check with a healthcare provider if you’re concerned about how much fruit you should eat and ways to add more to your diet, if needed.
Any food can prompt an interaction, intolerance, or allergy. While strawberries are considered a good-for-you fruit, they’re no exception.
While rare, afood allergyis an abnormal immune system response to a food. An allergic reaction to strawberries can be mild or, in rare cases, severe and potentially life-threatening, known asanaphylaxis. Common symptoms of a true food allergy include:
If you have an allergy to other berries, like blueberry or cherry, research shows, you are more likely to have a cross-reaction to strawberries.
A food intolerance, on the other hand, is typically less serious and means that a person mayexperience symptomsrelated to stomach pain, cramping, or heartburn after eating certain foods.
Summary
Strawberries are relatively low in natural sugar for fruit and are chock-full of nutritious compounds like antioxidants, vitamin C, and folate. Incorporating at least 1.5 cups of strawberries into your weekly meal plan can help keep bodily functions running smoothly and potentially help manage and prevent certain chronic health conditions.
Try adding them as breakfast toppings, pairing them with a savory lunch, or blending them into smoothies to help boost your strawberry consumption.
18 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.A very berry summer.National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.Folate fact sheet for health professionals.U.S. Department of Agriculture.Strawberries, raw.Schell J, Scofield RH, Barrett JR, et al.Strawberries improve pain and inflammation in obese adults with radiographic evidence of knee osteoarthritis.Nutrients. 2017;9(9). doi:10.3390/nu9090949Basu A, Nguyen A, Betts NM, Lyons TJ.Strawberry as a functional food: an evidence-based review.Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2014;54(6):790-806. doi:10.1080/10408398.2011.608174Afrin S, Gasparrini M, Forbes-Hernandez TY, et al.Promising health benefits of the strawberry: a focus on clinical studies.J Agric Food Chem. 2016;64(22):4435-4449. doi:10.1021/acs.jafc.6b00857Cassidy A, Mukamal KJ, Liu L, Franz M, Eliassen AH et al.High anthocyanin intake is associated with a reduced risk of myocardial infarction in young and middle-aged women.Circulation. 2013;127(2):188-196. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.112.122408Carr AC, Maggini S.Vitamin C and immune function.Nutrients. 2017;9(11):1211. doi:10.3390/nu9111211National Institutes of Health.Lymphocyte.Chen T, Shi N, Afzali A.Chemopreventive effects of strawberry and black raspberry on colorectal cancer in inflammatory bowel disease.Nutrients. 2019;11(6). doi:10.3390/nu11061261Kristo AS, Klimis-Zacas D, Sikalidis AK.Protective role of dietary berries in cancer.Antioxidants (Basel). 2016;5(4):37. doi:10.3390/antiox5040037Jenkins DJ et al.The effect of strawberries in a cholesterol-lowering dietary portfolio.Metabolism.2008 Dec;57(12):1636-44. doi:10.1016/j.metabol.2008.07.018Burton-Freeman B, Linares A, Hyson D, Kappagoda T.Strawberry modulates LDL oxidation and postprandial lipemia in response to high-fat meal in overweight hyperlipidemic men and women.J Am Coll Nutr.2010 Feb;29(1):46-54. doi:10.1080/07315724.2010.10719816Miller MG, Thangthaeng N, Rutledge GA, Scott TM, Shukitt-Hale B.Dietary strawberry improves cognition in a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in older adults.Br J Nutr. 2021 Jul 28;126(2):253-263. doi:10.1017/S0007114521000222Bhatta S, Stevanovic Janezic T, Ratti C.Freeze-drying of plant-based foods.Foods. 2020;9(1):87. doi:10.3390/foods9010087Amani R, Moazen S, Shahbazian H, Ahmadi K, Jalali MT.Flavonoid-rich beverage effects on lipid profile and blood pressure in diabetic patients.World J Diabetes. 2014;5(6):962–968. doi:10.4239/wjd.v5.i6.962MedlinePlus.Food allergy.Kurze E, Kock V, Lo Scalzo R, Olbricht K, Schwab W.Effect of the strawberry genotype, cultivation and processing on the fra a 1 allergen content.Nutrients. 2018 Jul 2;10(7):857. doi:10.3390/nu10070857
18 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.A very berry summer.National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.Folate fact sheet for health professionals.U.S. Department of Agriculture.Strawberries, raw.Schell J, Scofield RH, Barrett JR, et al.Strawberries improve pain and inflammation in obese adults with radiographic evidence of knee osteoarthritis.Nutrients. 2017;9(9). doi:10.3390/nu9090949Basu A, Nguyen A, Betts NM, Lyons TJ.Strawberry as a functional food: an evidence-based review.Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2014;54(6):790-806. doi:10.1080/10408398.2011.608174Afrin S, Gasparrini M, Forbes-Hernandez TY, et al.Promising health benefits of the strawberry: a focus on clinical studies.J Agric Food Chem. 2016;64(22):4435-4449. doi:10.1021/acs.jafc.6b00857Cassidy A, Mukamal KJ, Liu L, Franz M, Eliassen AH et al.High anthocyanin intake is associated with a reduced risk of myocardial infarction in young and middle-aged women.Circulation. 2013;127(2):188-196. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.112.122408Carr AC, Maggini S.Vitamin C and immune function.Nutrients. 2017;9(11):1211. doi:10.3390/nu9111211National Institutes of Health.Lymphocyte.Chen T, Shi N, Afzali A.Chemopreventive effects of strawberry and black raspberry on colorectal cancer in inflammatory bowel disease.Nutrients. 2019;11(6). doi:10.3390/nu11061261Kristo AS, Klimis-Zacas D, Sikalidis AK.Protective role of dietary berries in cancer.Antioxidants (Basel). 2016;5(4):37. doi:10.3390/antiox5040037Jenkins DJ et al.The effect of strawberries in a cholesterol-lowering dietary portfolio.Metabolism.2008 Dec;57(12):1636-44. doi:10.1016/j.metabol.2008.07.018Burton-Freeman B, Linares A, Hyson D, Kappagoda T.Strawberry modulates LDL oxidation and postprandial lipemia in response to high-fat meal in overweight hyperlipidemic men and women.J Am Coll Nutr.2010 Feb;29(1):46-54. doi:10.1080/07315724.2010.10719816Miller MG, Thangthaeng N, Rutledge GA, Scott TM, Shukitt-Hale B.Dietary strawberry improves cognition in a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in older adults.Br J Nutr. 2021 Jul 28;126(2):253-263. doi:10.1017/S0007114521000222Bhatta S, Stevanovic Janezic T, Ratti C.Freeze-drying of plant-based foods.Foods. 2020;9(1):87. doi:10.3390/foods9010087Amani R, Moazen S, Shahbazian H, Ahmadi K, Jalali MT.Flavonoid-rich beverage effects on lipid profile and blood pressure in diabetic patients.World J Diabetes. 2014;5(6):962–968. doi:10.4239/wjd.v5.i6.962MedlinePlus.Food allergy.Kurze E, Kock V, Lo Scalzo R, Olbricht K, Schwab W.Effect of the strawberry genotype, cultivation and processing on the fra a 1 allergen content.Nutrients. 2018 Jul 2;10(7):857. doi:10.3390/nu10070857
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.A very berry summer.National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.Folate fact sheet for health professionals.U.S. Department of Agriculture.Strawberries, raw.Schell J, Scofield RH, Barrett JR, et al.Strawberries improve pain and inflammation in obese adults with radiographic evidence of knee osteoarthritis.Nutrients. 2017;9(9). doi:10.3390/nu9090949Basu A, Nguyen A, Betts NM, Lyons TJ.Strawberry as a functional food: an evidence-based review.Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2014;54(6):790-806. doi:10.1080/10408398.2011.608174Afrin S, Gasparrini M, Forbes-Hernandez TY, et al.Promising health benefits of the strawberry: a focus on clinical studies.J Agric Food Chem. 2016;64(22):4435-4449. doi:10.1021/acs.jafc.6b00857Cassidy A, Mukamal KJ, Liu L, Franz M, Eliassen AH et al.High anthocyanin intake is associated with a reduced risk of myocardial infarction in young and middle-aged women.Circulation. 2013;127(2):188-196. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.112.122408Carr AC, Maggini S.Vitamin C and immune function.Nutrients. 2017;9(11):1211. doi:10.3390/nu9111211National Institutes of Health.Lymphocyte.Chen T, Shi N, Afzali A.Chemopreventive effects of strawberry and black raspberry on colorectal cancer in inflammatory bowel disease.Nutrients. 2019;11(6). doi:10.3390/nu11061261Kristo AS, Klimis-Zacas D, Sikalidis AK.Protective role of dietary berries in cancer.Antioxidants (Basel). 2016;5(4):37. doi:10.3390/antiox5040037Jenkins DJ et al.The effect of strawberries in a cholesterol-lowering dietary portfolio.Metabolism.2008 Dec;57(12):1636-44. doi:10.1016/j.metabol.2008.07.018Burton-Freeman B, Linares A, Hyson D, Kappagoda T.Strawberry modulates LDL oxidation and postprandial lipemia in response to high-fat meal in overweight hyperlipidemic men and women.J Am Coll Nutr.2010 Feb;29(1):46-54. doi:10.1080/07315724.2010.10719816Miller MG, Thangthaeng N, Rutledge GA, Scott TM, Shukitt-Hale B.Dietary strawberry improves cognition in a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in older adults.Br J Nutr. 2021 Jul 28;126(2):253-263. doi:10.1017/S0007114521000222Bhatta S, Stevanovic Janezic T, Ratti C.Freeze-drying of plant-based foods.Foods. 2020;9(1):87. doi:10.3390/foods9010087Amani R, Moazen S, Shahbazian H, Ahmadi K, Jalali MT.Flavonoid-rich beverage effects on lipid profile and blood pressure in diabetic patients.World J Diabetes. 2014;5(6):962–968. doi:10.4239/wjd.v5.i6.962MedlinePlus.Food allergy.Kurze E, Kock V, Lo Scalzo R, Olbricht K, Schwab W.Effect of the strawberry genotype, cultivation and processing on the fra a 1 allergen content.Nutrients. 2018 Jul 2;10(7):857. doi:10.3390/nu10070857
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.A very berry summer.
National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.Folate fact sheet for health professionals.
U.S. Department of Agriculture.Strawberries, raw.
Schell J, Scofield RH, Barrett JR, et al.Strawberries improve pain and inflammation in obese adults with radiographic evidence of knee osteoarthritis.Nutrients. 2017;9(9). doi:10.3390/nu9090949
Basu A, Nguyen A, Betts NM, Lyons TJ.Strawberry as a functional food: an evidence-based review.Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2014;54(6):790-806. doi:10.1080/10408398.2011.608174
Afrin S, Gasparrini M, Forbes-Hernandez TY, et al.Promising health benefits of the strawberry: a focus on clinical studies.J Agric Food Chem. 2016;64(22):4435-4449. doi:10.1021/acs.jafc.6b00857
Cassidy A, Mukamal KJ, Liu L, Franz M, Eliassen AH et al.High anthocyanin intake is associated with a reduced risk of myocardial infarction in young and middle-aged women.Circulation. 2013;127(2):188-196. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.112.122408
Carr AC, Maggini S.Vitamin C and immune function.Nutrients. 2017;9(11):1211. doi:10.3390/nu9111211
National Institutes of Health.Lymphocyte.
Chen T, Shi N, Afzali A.Chemopreventive effects of strawberry and black raspberry on colorectal cancer in inflammatory bowel disease.Nutrients. 2019;11(6). doi:10.3390/nu11061261
Kristo AS, Klimis-Zacas D, Sikalidis AK.Protective role of dietary berries in cancer.Antioxidants (Basel). 2016;5(4):37. doi:10.3390/antiox5040037
Jenkins DJ et al.The effect of strawberries in a cholesterol-lowering dietary portfolio.Metabolism.2008 Dec;57(12):1636-44. doi:10.1016/j.metabol.2008.07.018
Burton-Freeman B, Linares A, Hyson D, Kappagoda T.Strawberry modulates LDL oxidation and postprandial lipemia in response to high-fat meal in overweight hyperlipidemic men and women.J Am Coll Nutr.2010 Feb;29(1):46-54. doi:10.1080/07315724.2010.10719816
Miller MG, Thangthaeng N, Rutledge GA, Scott TM, Shukitt-Hale B.Dietary strawberry improves cognition in a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in older adults.Br J Nutr. 2021 Jul 28;126(2):253-263. doi:10.1017/S0007114521000222
Bhatta S, Stevanovic Janezic T, Ratti C.Freeze-drying of plant-based foods.Foods. 2020;9(1):87. doi:10.3390/foods9010087
Amani R, Moazen S, Shahbazian H, Ahmadi K, Jalali MT.Flavonoid-rich beverage effects on lipid profile and blood pressure in diabetic patients.World J Diabetes. 2014;5(6):962–968. doi:10.4239/wjd.v5.i6.962
MedlinePlus.Food allergy.
Kurze E, Kock V, Lo Scalzo R, Olbricht K, Schwab W.Effect of the strawberry genotype, cultivation and processing on the fra a 1 allergen content.Nutrients. 2018 Jul 2;10(7):857. doi:10.3390/nu10070857
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
