The gastronomic adventure that awaits at each picnic is one of its most thrilling features. The delicious variety of food satisfies our stomachs and feeds our souls with happiness and community. However, given the tastes of each family member, the idea of cooking a range of foods may seem intimidating. This blog is meant to save your picnic fantasies and make them a pleasant and simple reality.

1.Watermelon Salad

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of watermelon cubes
• 1 cup of feta cheese in crumbles
• 14 cups chopped fresh mint leaves
• Olive oil, extra virgin, two teaspoons
• 1 tbsp optional balsamic vinegar
• pepper and salt as desired

Instructions:

• To begin, slice some ripe, juicy watermelon into bite-sized chunks. If there are seeds, take them out.
• Combine the diced watermelon, feta cheese, and chopped fresh mint in a large mixing dish.
• Drizzle the salad’s components with extra-virgin olive oil. You may also add balsamic vinegar to taste.
• Gently mix the salad until the dressing is distributed equally among the components. Sprinkle a little salt and freshly ground black pepper to accentuate the flavors. Enjoy!

2. Air Fryer Brats

Are you a sausage fan looking for a simple and tasty addition to your picnic menu? Try air-fried brats for juicy, delicious sausages with a crisp exterior! In this recipe, we’ll show you how to cook brats in an air fryer and guarantee that the meal will be a hit with the whole family.

Ingredients:

• Bratwurst sausages (whatever many you and your family require)
• Sausage rolls or frankfurter buns
• Optional toppings:
• Mustard, ketchup, sauerkraut, grilled onions

Instructions:

• Set your air fryer to 350°F (175°C) to begin with. It guarantees that the brats cook uniformly and turn a lovely golden brown.
• Make a few holes in each brat with a fork or toothpick while the air fryer is warming up.
• Put the brats in the basket in one layer once the air fryer has been warmed. Avoid crowding since this may result in uneven cooking. The brats should be cooked for 10 to 12 minutes, flipping them halfway through.
• Utilize a meat thermometer to measure the brats’ internal temperature during the cooking period. They must attain an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C) for safe eating.
• Before assembling the brats, lightly brown the buns in the air fryer for 1-2 minutes.
• Put your preferred toppings on top of the air-fried brats before placing them in the buns or rolls you choose. Classic options like mustard, ketchup, sauerkraut, and grilled onions work wonders, but feel free to get creative with your toppings to suit your family’s preferences.

3. Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces (about 225g) of pasta (penne, rotini, or macaroni work well)
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup cucumber, diced
• 1/2 cup black olives, sliced
• 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• Three tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (optional, for garnish)

For the Dressing:

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Two tablespoons of red wine vinegar (or balsamic vinegar for a sweeter flavor)
• One clove of garlic, minced
• One teaspoon of Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

• To cook the pasta al dente, follow the directions on the package and bring a big pot of salted water to a boil. Drain the pasta and rinse it in cool water to stop the cooking.
• Mix the olive oil, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, dried oregano, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Depending on your taste, adjust the seasoning.
• Combine the cooked and cooled pasta with the sliced black olives, diced cucumber, chopped red onion, and feta cheese in a large mixing dish. Gently stir the ingredients into the salad to ensure they are distributed equally.
• Pour the dressing over the pasta and vegetables. Gently stir until everything is coated with the dressing.
• Before serving, chill the pasta salad for at least an hour in the refrigerator. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a cover. This chilling period enables the flavors to come together and enhances the salad’s flavor.

4. Chicken Drumsticks

Ingredients:

• 10 drumsticks of chicken
• Olive oil, two teaspoons
• 2/fourths cup soy sauce
• Honey, two tablespoons
• Two minced garlic cloves
• One paprika teaspoon
• Black pepper, half a teaspoon
• 0.5 teaspoons of salt
• Fresh herbs can be used as a garnish.

Instructions:

• • Olive oil, soy sauce, honey, minced garlic, paprika, black pepper, and salt should all be combined in a big bowl. Mix well to incorporate the marinade completely.
  • Place the chicken drumsticks in the marinade-filled basin. Make sure the marinade is distributed equally over each drumstick. Marinate them for at least 30 minutes for optimal flavor, but ideally overnight in the bowl covered with plastic wrap.
  • If you’re grilling, preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) if you’re baking.
  • Grilling: Remove the drumsticks from the marinade and place them on the hot grill. Cook for about 20-25 minutes, turning occasionally, until the chicken is cooked and has a nice charred exterior.
• Baking: Lay a wire rack on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. Place the drumsticks on the wire rack after marinating. Bake the chicken for 30-35 minutes or until it is fully cooked and crispy. Remove the chicken drumsticks from the grill or oven after cooking. Before serving, allow them to rest for a while.

Conclusion 

A family picnic is a great way to spend time with loved ones, make enduring memories, and indulge in delectable food. There’s no need to worry about meal planning when you have these simple and delicious dishes. So grab your picnic basket, go outside, and enjoy the delight of good company and delicious food in the middle of nature.

Do you have an eye infection? If so, should you consider an apple cider vinegar eyewash? In this article, we discuss just that.

What Is Apple Cider Vinegar?

Apple cider vinegar is largely apple juice, but the sugar in the juice is converted to alcohol when yeast is added. This process, known as fermentation, converts alcohol to acetic acid by bacteria. This is what gives vinegar its sour flavor and pungent odor.

It has a long history of use as a home treatment for ailments such as sore throats and varicose veins. There isn’t a lot of science to back up these claims.

However, in recent years, some experts have focused their attention on apple cider vinegar and its potential health advantages.

Pink Eye (conjunctivitis)

One of the touted uses for apple cider vinegar is eyewash. This is proposed as a treatment for pink eye. So let’s look at this condition.

Pink eye is also called conjunctivitis. It is an infection or inflammation of the conjunctiva. This is the translucent membrane that lines the inside of your eyelids and covers the white area of your eyeball. The conjunctiva is responsible for keeping your eyes moist.

Viral or bacterial infections are the leading causes of this eye condition. Allergic reactions also cause pink eye.

This eye infection usually manifests as symptoms in one or both eyes, such as:

• Itchiness
• Redness
• Discharge
• Tearing

Should You Use Apple Cider Vinegar Eyewash for Pink Eye?

The big question — should you use it to treat an eye infection?

Many websites recommend using apple cider vinegar to treat pink eye. They recommend applying a vinegar/water solution to the outside of the eyelid. They even suggest pouring a few drops of vinegar/water solution straight into the eye.

There is no clinical evidence to support these claims.

If, however, you’re bent on using apple cider vinegar, you should first get the opinion of your doctor. Keep in mind that you should be very careful. Vinegar can cause redness, irritation, and injuries to your cornea.

Other Remedies

There are some home remedies for pink eye on the web (e.g. coconut oil, guava leaves, curry leaves). But there is no scientific proof behind them. Do not try them without consulting your doctor.

While you can’t cure pink eye at home, there are ways to reduce its symptoms.

• Damp compresses: Use a different wet compress for each affected eye. Repeat multiple times a day using a new, clean washcloth each time.
• Over-the-counter lubricating eye drops (these work as artificial tears and prevent your eyes from drying out).
• Over-the-counter painkillers.

How to Prevent Pink Eye

As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure. And the best way to prevent pink eye is through good hygiene.

In case of an infection, you can prevent the spread of pink eye with a few precautions:

• Frequently wash your hands
• Keep your hands away from your eyes.
• Every day, replace your face towel, washcloth, and pillowcases with clean ones.
• Stop wearing contact lenses. Replace them, or at least disinfect them. The same goes for contact lens accessories.
• Discard your makeup.
• Don’t share any products related to your eyes or face.

Final Thoughts

Don’t believe everything you read on the internet. Many websites recommend using apple cider vinegar as an anti-infection eyewash, but research doesn’t back this claim up.

Always do your own reading. Check out sources. And most importantly — talk to your doctor before every health-related decision.

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Red Wine Vinegar Nutrition And Health Benefits

Yesterday while grocery shopping my sweet tooth became hungry and demanded ice cream. I tried to ignore it for a while but God can it be stubborn. Now what? I was on a hunt for something sweet, tasty, and healthy. While all three together might be a paradox I was firm in finding all three together. Standing near the ice cream freezer all I could see were tubs of cookie n cream ice cream, brownie ice cream, or chocolate ice cream. The healthiest it could get was a strawberry ice cream because at least it contained some fruit or just a name of one. It was then, that another red favor caught my eye. “Tomato by Hagn Daz” ewwww right? I thought the same and left the aisle with nothing. But a foodie and a nutritionist in me came back to try the flavor so I could write about it and here I am.

After my initial reaction of eww, I bought the ice cream just to have a bite and write a review. Little did I know that I will get hooked to it. Sweet tomato might seem milk strange concept but man was that thing tasty. After enjoying full serving I read the label and nutritional content, sadly it was similar to the rest of the ice creams, with sugar being the major ingredient. It was then that I got an idea of making tomato ice cream myself.

What Tomato Ice Cream has to offer?

A homemade tomato ice cream will offer you nothing except great taste, sweet tooth satisfaction and great nutrition. If all these are enough for your, this article might be a good read for you.

The Available Options

Tomato ice cream does not mean a frozen concoction of tomatoes, milk, and sugar only. It has more to it and even more can be added to suit your taste and preferences. The currently available options in the market or in your kitchen pantry might be, tomato ginger ice cream, tomato ricotta ice cream, tomato basil ice cream and mascarpone tomato ice cream.

You can also be a little innovative and devise a recipe of your own. Add honey, add parsley, add lemon, add spinach or whatever you feel like. it’s your ice cream and your choice.

The Standard Recipe Of Tomato Ice Cream

Ingredients

• A standard recipe of a tomato ice cream would be
• 1 medium tomato
• ½ cup heavy cream
• ¼ cup of sugar/ zero calorie sweetener (preferred)
• 1 squeeze of lemon
• 1 table spoon of honey

Methods

1. Heat some water in a pan until it starts to boil. Once the water starts boiling add your tomato in it.
2. Allow the tomato get soft and its peel to get easy to remove.
3. Remove the peel and mash the tomato well.
4. Now chill your cream in a chiller.
5. Once it reaches a very cold temperature, start whipping it.
6. You will need an electric stand or hand mixture for this. A manual whisk will not whip the cream well.
7. Whip the cream until it starts forming peaks and is about double in quantity than before.
8. No add the mashed tomatoes, granulated sugar or sweetener, honey and salt.
9. Keep on churning the mixture until a creamy consistency is achieved. Using an ice cream machine is the best option.
10. Freeze until desired and Enjoy!

Benefits Of Tomato Ice cream

Who doesn’t love ice cream? The taste and feel alone are reason enough to make you want to eat it. But when it comes to a weird flavor like tomato, you might want to learn a little more than just the taste. Here is what a cup of tomato ice cream can offer you.

Let’s pick each ingredient and discuss it in detail

1. The Creaminess

Cream is often taken as an unhealthy ingredient and rightfully so. But just the total calories of a certain food can not define its worth. Although cream is rich in calories it won’t do much harm if taken occasionally. Half a cup of cream can have 43 grams of fat, with 3 grams of proteins. But when it comes to micronutrients and vitamins such as vitamin A cream can ace the game.

Half cup of cream contains 35% of your daily required intake of Vitamin A. Vitamin A is necessary in maintaining good vision. So, cream allows you to enjoy its best taste and keep your eyes healthy. Also, cream contains fair amounts of vitamin E, vitamin D and calcium.

All the nutrient a cup of cream may provide, they can not counter the fact that cream is loaded with fats and calories. Both of which are an assurance towards weight gain. But on the other and cream can cause weight loss on certain diets like the ketogenic diet.

2. The Devil Itself

Addressing the elephant in the room, there is no doubt that tomatoes are an absolute health food. The debate whether it is a fruit or a vegetable should make you put it higher than you already did. Maybe it contains the benefits of both. Now you must be wondering if it contains the harms of both. Well, even if it does, there are not much to even count.

Tomatoes hold a dark spot in the minds of people who read about food a lot. But lack of knowledge is better than having little of it. The internet says that tomatoes are night shades and nightshades are not good for your health. There is no scientific research sound enough to claim that nightshades actually have a deteriorating effect on your health.

Now that we have developed that there are no proven harms of tomatoes lets start discussing the innumerable benefits of them.

Minimum Calories

The calories we were worried about when discussing the cream can be compensated here. A small tomato has only 18 calories. This makes tomato a perfect fit for any kind of diet. In fact, you will hardly find a savory recipe without tomatoes. So even before this you were eating them. But now you can eat them with full confidence.

Micronutrients

Tomatoes are loaded with several essential vitamins and minerals.

• A medium-sized tomato can provide 28% RDI (reference daily intake). It is an essential antioxidant.
• Tomatoes are rich in folate which is essential for normal tissue growth and cell function.
• These also contain potassium which is important for blood pressure control because it counteracts sodium. Controlling your blood pressure simply means lowering your risk of heart disease.

Plant Compounds

Tomatoes being a plant for all the right reasons are loaded with plant compounds like

• Lycopene, which is a red pigment and a very strong antioxidant. Lycopene has innumerable health benefits.
• Beta carotene, also a strong antioxidant with an orange yellow color. It converts into vitamin A inside your body, which is really good for your vision and other body functions.
• Chlorogenic Acid is proven to lower blood pressure in people with elevated blood pressures.
• Naringenin is found in the tomato skin, so unless you grind and add the skin to your ice cream you won’t get the benefits of it.

Please note that all of these compounds are more abundant in the skin that the rest of the tomato, so to get maximum nutrients you must add the skin in the ice cream too.

3. The Sweetness

The ingredients that might takeaway everything good mentioned before. There is no doubt that your ice cream won’t taste as amazing unless you add heaps of sugar in to it. But trust me only if you knew the havoc these white crystals create inside your body. Sugar, single-handedly can ruin your health. But keep in mind that everything in moderation id fine. You already use this much or more sugar in a day so if you aren’t on a strict diet, you need not worry about it.

If you are on a calorie-restricted diet, you can use any zero-calorie sweetener. My advice would be to use Truvia because it has the best taste, texture and nutrient content. Try using truvia instead of sugar and you won’t be able to tell the difference between the final recipes.

Honey can also be used sweeten the delight. You don’t need me to tell you anything to make you eat honey. You are more than likely to have it without even a second thought. This is how tasty the damned syrup is. Apart from the taste of honey is all natural and contains antioxidants.

• Honey is rich in antioxidants and can increase your antioxidant value of your blood.
• Honey does not spike your blood sugar levels as bad as white sugar.
• It can help in lowering your blood pressure.
• It can also lower your levels of triglycerides which is a protective measure for your heart.
• Honey can also act as a mild vaccine against pollen. This claim is yet to be backed with strong research.

When To Eat Tomato Ice cream

Who needs a time to eat ice cream? Ice cream can be eaten anywhere any day. Well, it can be but it shouldn’t be. Although we have made this tomato ice cream somewhat healthier, it is not a perfectly healthy snack for you. I bet you will get hooked to the taste and flavor which will make it even more difficult to control yourself but you will have to.

Alternatives Of Tomato Ice cream

No matter how much we love ice cream, eating it all the time would be a one-way ticket to disease. If you are really hooked to the taste of this weird ice cream flavor, you can find even healthier alternatives like tomato basil slush, tomato lemon sorbet, and a simple green juice with tomatoes. Not only all of these are better nutrient wise but are actually very, very healthy.

The Downsides Of Tomato Ice Cream

Loving this ice cream is inevitable but you need to know some downsides of it too.

1. Cream is obviously the basic component of this delight. Cream is very, very high in calories and fats. This is the easiest way to gain weight. So, unless you really want to gain weight or are on a diet like keto, you need to be wary of this tomato ice cream.
2. Although I have warned you before but I know you will add sugar into your bowl. This sugar will wreak havoc in your hormonal system. Too much sugar can cause obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
3. Although honey is quite healthy but there is no denying that it is rich in calories. And calories matter the most when it comes to weight.

The Bottom Line

This weird dessert can get you hooked to it. But keep in mind that it can make you gain weight too. Although this can be healthier than a “cookies n cream ice cream”, there are better options available when it comes to nutritious and healthy desserts.

01. Why are Strawberries Called as Strawberries?

One theory is that forest pickers tie them to pieces of straw to take them to market. Others believe that the surface of the fruit is covered with pieces of straw. Others think the name came from the Old English word meaning “to strew”.

02. What are Strawberries?

Strawberry (or just strawberry; Fragaria × ananassa) is a hybrid of a widely grown hybrid of the genus Fragaria, collectively known as strawberries, grown worldwide for their fruit. The fruit is popular with its distinctive aroma, bright red color, watery texture, and sweetness. It is used in large quantities as fresh or prepared foods such as jam, juice, pies, ice cream, milkshakes, and chocolates. Artificial strawberry flavors and aromas are also widely used in products such as sweets, soaps, lip gloss, perfumes, and many others.

The strawberry was first produced in Brittany, France, in the 1750s by the cross of the Fragaria virginiana from eastern North America and the Fragaria chiloensis, brought from Chile by Amédée-François Frézier in 1714. Fragaria × ananassa varieties have replaced, in commercial production, wild strawberry (Fragaria vesca), which were the first strawberry varieties grown in the early 17th century.

Strawberries are not, in the view of plants, berries. Technically, the fruit is used in combination, which means that the fleshy part is not removed from the plant’s eggs but from the egg-storage container. Each visible “seed” (achene) outside the fruit is actually one of the flower eggs, with seeds inside it.

In 2017, land production of strawberries was 9.2 million tons, led by China at 40% of the total.

03. Nutrient Composition of Strawberry

Strawberry contains a huge number of nutrients. It’s rich in many nutritive and non-nutritive bioactive compounds which helps in promoting health and disease prevention.

04. Bioactive compounds

Bioactive compounds which contain in strawberry are very important in preventing diseases in the human body. it contains a remarkably high amount of folate and Vitamin C, Anthocyanins (Pelargonidin-3-glucoside), flavanols (catechins and procyanidins) are known as the compounds with high antioxidant capacity. (1)

Strawberries contain vitamins like Thiamine(B₁), Riboflavin(B₂), Niacin(B₃), Pantothenic acid (B₅), Vitamin B₆, Folate(B9), Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin K and minerals like Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sodium, Zinc. With these compounds, studies have shown that the phytochemicals in strawberry help in,

Health Benefits of Strawberry

05. Strawberry to Boost your Immune

Do you know Strawberry is one of the best food that can boost your immune? Strawberries are very rich in Vitamin C which is a well-known immunity-boosting Nutrient. A cup of strawberries can fulfill your daily requirement. So you can add strawberry to your daily diet and toughen your immunity. There are many other fruits like mango, papaya, Pineapple, Watermelon, Citrus fruits(orange, grapefruit) that contain Vitamin C.

Also, Antioxidants in Strawberry helps in protecting your body from free radicals. The body has many endogenous and exogenous free radicals which cause many diseases. Strawberry has marked as an excellent fruit with a wide range of beneficial effects with antioxidants in preventing disease by neutralizing free radicals. (2)

06. Strawberry to Reduce inflammation

Did you know that Strawberries, most the berries are the best fruits for arthritis? Arthritis Foundation has shown that strawberry is one of the best food for arthritis and they say a person can reduce C-reactive protein (CRP) to the lowest level by eating around 16 or more strawberries per week. (3).

CRP is a measure of body-wide inflammation linked to arthritis flares. Also, elevated CRP level can cause rheumatoid arthritis (RA), lupus, Ceratin types of Inflammatory bowel disease such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, (4)

You can use olive oil, green leafy vegetables, fatty fish, almonds and walnuts, oranges also help you in reducing inflammation.

So, You are here to get to know all the facts about strawberries It’s 100 facts about Strawberries. As it seems no one has talked this much facts about strawberries and today, we are going to reveal 100 (Let’s say ALL) facts about Strawberries here.

07. Strawberry to Prevent Cardiovascular Disease

Cardiovascular diseases are a leading global health problem and studies have shown that eating fruits inversely related to cardiovascular disease. Strawberry and blueberry are some of the best fruits which can prevent this disease. Harvard Medical college studies have revealed,

women who ate the fewest blueberries and strawberries were at increased risk of heart attack. Those who ate the most were 34% less likely to have suffered a heart attack than were women who ate the least of these fruits.

Studies say that having three or more half a cup of blueberries or strawberries per week can help in preventing heart disease amazingly. (5)

You can use Avacados, Walnuts, Beans, Dark Chocalates, Leafy green vegetables, Fatty fish as other foods that have the ability in preventing CV disease.

08. Strawberry to Prevent Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolic syndrome is not a specific condition. It refers to a set of disease risk factors that cause cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, tissue damage. As symptoms of metabolic syndrome person may have at least three out of the following five symptoms.

1. Central, visceral, abdominal obesity, specifically, a waist size of more than 40 inches in men and more than 35 inches in women
2. Fasting blood glucose levels of 100 mg/dL or above
3. Blood pressure of 130/85 mm/Hg or above
4. Blood triglycerides levels of 150 mg/dL or higher
5. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels of 40 mg/dL or less for men and 50 mg/dL or less for women (6)

09. Strawberry to prevent obesity

Strawberry is an excellent source of anthocyanins and ellagic acid. Both anthocyanins and ellagic acid slow down the digestion rate of starchy foods and this controls the rising of blood sugar level when having starch meals. This effect is beneficial in people with Type 2 Diabetes also.

Anthocyanin can increase the level of the hormone adiponectin which helps in stimulating body metabolism and aids in weight lossing. (8)

Strawberry is rich with fiber and this helps in assisting weight loss. Fiber induces satiety and this may feel you full for a long time. If you are full, you will not eat other starchy or fatten foods.

You can use whole grains, vegetables, Nuts, Seeds, whole fruits (not juices) as other foods that help in reducing obesity.

10. Antidiabetic Activities

Most of the time people with diabetes often aim to have foods with a low glycemic load. So, most of the time you may have to limit certain foods. That’s true but if you are a big fan of strawberry you don’t have to stop eating this fruit.

Strawberries have a very low calory level, on average a cup of strawberries has 46 calories. You should maintain a healthy weight and this will help in reducing sugar level naturally. So, eating strawberry alone helps in reducing the sugar levels in your body. (9)

Strawberry contains fiber. Fiber can reduce the absorption of sugar in digestion. Also, It makes you feel full for longer and then this contributes to healthy weight management.

Also, Strawberry contains magnesium and this improves insulin resistance and reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Vitamin C in Strawberry can lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, and it helps in reducing sugar levels in the blood after meals. (9)

Also, add Cinnaomon, Eggs, Tumeric, Nuts, Leafy Greens, Fatty fish and these will be help you in reducing the risk of diabetes.

11. Strawberry to Regulate Blood Pressure

High blood pressure has become one of the most severe diseases all over the world. High blood pressure may lead to risk of heart attacks. But this condition can be prevented just by using a healthy diet. You must need to cut down salts. And you must need to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. When considering fruits, studies have shown that strawberry is one of the best fruits that can reduce high blood pressure.

As mentioned above diseases, strawberry is an excellent resource of anthocyanin which is a type of flavanoid and studies have shown that this has an 8% reduction in the risk of high blood pressure. Compared to other resources, strawberry is giving high enough daily requirements for the human body. (10)

One of the research has done an experiment on how 4-week strawberry intake helps in reducing blood pressure. So, they say, (11)

Daily intake of strawberries may improve endothelial function and acute changes in blood pressure, independent of other metabolic changes, and may be considered a specific food/fruit to include in a heart-healthy diet in overweight or obese subjects with moderate hypercholesterolemia.

12. Strawberry can Boost your Brain functions

The food that we eat day to day has a big impact on our health and on our brain also. If you are eating brain-boosting diet, this will help in both short and long-term brain functions.

The brain is an organ that consumes 20% of the body’s calories. So, it must need plenty of nutritious food to maintain the brain cells and the concentration throughout the day. To keep the brain healthy, we must supply nutrients like Omega-3 fatty acids which help in building and repairing brain cells. Also, antioxidants will help in reducing inflammation and stress, which can cause in aging of the brain and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. (12)

In these diseases berries do an excellent work on,

• Reducing inflammation
• Improving Neuro cells transmissions
• Boosting memory and cognitive ability,
• Reducing the cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases

As, other foods that you can add in boosting your brain functions are Dark Chocolate, Blueberries, Grains, Coffee, Avacados, peanuts, Eggs, Broccoli, Soy products. (12)

13. Anticancer Properties of Strawberries

Cancers have become a vast disaster all over the world and it reports 606,520 cancer deaths and 1,806,590 new cancer cases in the United States. So, you see a huge amount of people are suffering from this disease. Actually this huge number is mostly because of the food we eat. Most of them have many more chemicals that cause many diseases in our body. With the accumulation of these chemicals, it causes cancers in our body.

Strawberry contains a huge number of phenolic compounds that contribute to biological properties. So, these bioactive compounds give anti-cancer properties through various functionalities such as inducing metabolizing enzymes, modulizing gene expression, etc. (13)

Also, as a huge source of ellagic acid, it can exert an anticarcinogenic and antimutagenic effect. (13)

Like this, strawberry has huge potential in preventing cancers. When considering other foods that have anti-cancer properties, you can eat Apples, Cruciferous vegetables, Carrots, Fatty fish, Walnuts, Legumes. (14)

14. Antimicrobial activities of Strawberries

There are trillions of microbes in our body and some may cause many diseases. So, Antimicrobial activity refers to the process of inhibiting or killing these disease-causing microbes. They can be anti-bacterial, anti-viral, or anti-fungal.

In Antimicrobial activities, strawberry does excellent work with its nutrients such as folate, Vitamin C, several phytochemicals, and phenolic compounds. According to a study, (15)

Strawberry extracts showed a zone of inhibition of up to 18 mm against E. coli through the method of agar well diffusion 

This way strawberry is doing an excellent job on Antimicrobial activity. (15)

How to Grow Strawberry

15. Three Types of Strawberry Plants

There are 3 Types of Strawberry Plants

1. June-Bearing varieties
   • Sensitive to the length of the day, these varieties produce autumn shoots, flowers, and fruit the following June, and runners during the long summer days. Although referred to as “June-bearing” or “June-bearers,” these strawberries carry before June in warmer climates.
2. EverBearing varieties
   • These varieties form buds during long summer days and short autumn days. Summer-shoots and fruits in autumn. And autumn-formed shoots fruit the following spring
3. Day-Neutral varieties
   • Resistant to the length of the day, these species produce shoots, fruit, and runners continuously when the temperature stays between 35 ° and 85 ° F (1 ° to 30 ° C). Production is lower than those carrying June.

16. When to Plant Strawberries

• Plan planting as soon as the soil can be worked in the spring.
• Establish new plants each year to keep the quality of the berries high each season. Strawberry plants produce runners (daughter plants) that can cut and make daughter plants
• Always try to use disease-resistant plants from a reputable nursery. Contact an Agricultural extension officer to find out the recommended variety for your area.

17. How to Choose a Planting site for Strawberries

• Strawberry plants need 6-10 hours a day in direct sunlight, so choose your planting area appropriately.
• Strawberries tolerate different types of soil, although they prefer loamy soils that can drain out water easily. Ideally, start working on mature fertilizer or compost a few months before planting. If it’s clay soil, mix usually 4 inches or more of compost, and hold the clay soil into raised mounds for further water drainage improvement. If your soil is sandy, just dig a little deeper to get rid of weeds, and mix one inch [1 cm] of rich compost or rotten compost.
• Soil pH should be around 5.5 and 7. If necessary, change your soil before planting. If the soil in your area is naturally alkaline, it is better to plant strawberries in half bins or other large containers filled with composted soil.
• The planting area must be well-drained. Raised beds are an excellent alternative to strawberry plants.
• Practice crop rotation to be more effective. Unless you plan to amend your soil every year, do not plant in a newly planted strawberry, tomato, pepper or egg plant.

18. How to Plant Strawberries

• Provide ample space for exhaustion. Set the plants 20 inches apart to leave the runners’ space and leave four feet between rows. Strawberries are a growing plant. Seedlings will send runners and then they will send out their own runners.
• Make the planting holes deep and wide enough to cover the entire root system without bending. However, do not plant too deep! The roots should be covered, but the crown should be on the surface of the soil. It is very important that you do NOT bury the crown (Called central growing bud) or it could rot. Flowers, Leaves, and fruits must have light and fresh air.
• To settle its roots in the ground, water the plants well during planting.
• You can use runners from last year to grow new Strawberries.

19. How to Grow Strawberries

• Keep strawberry beds mulched to reduce water requirements and weed infestation. You can use pine straw and shredded leaves for mulching.
• Be diligent in removing weeds. It needs to remove weeds by hand, especially in the first months after planting.
• Moisture is incredibly important for strawberries because of the shallow roots. Water enough, about one inch per square foot per week. Strawberry plants need a lot of water when runners and flowers grow and also in late summer when the plants are fully grown and preparing for winter dormancy.
• Add enough Fertilizer. In warmer climates, the berries ripen in about 30 days after the fertilization of blossoms.
• In the first year, cut the flowers so that you do not let the strawberry plants bear fruit. If they are not allowed to bear fruit, they will use their food reserves to build healthy roots instead, which is a good thing. The fruit will be very large in the second year.
• Remove runner plants when needed. The first and second generations can give higher yields. Try to keep the daughter plants spaced about 10 inches apart.
• Line coverings are a great way to protect flowers and fruits from birds.

20. Winter Care of Strawberries

Strawberry is a perennial crop. They are naturally cold and will survive cold temperatures. Therefore, if your area has a pleasant winter, it needs a little care

In regions where temperatures drop regularly to 20 (Fahrenheit), strawberries will come to the dormant stage. It is best to provide winter protection:

• When the growing season is over, cut or cut the leaves into one inch. This can be done after the first frost, or when the air reaches 20 ° F (-6 ° C).
• Mulch grows four inches deep with grass, pine needles, or other organic material.
• In colder climates even higher, a protective cover should be installed.
• Natural rainfall should retain sufficient soil moisture.
• Remove the mulch in early spring, after the risk of frost has passed.

21. Pests and Diseases

• Gray Mold
• Powdery Mildew
• Japanese Beetles
• Spider Mites

22. Harvest and Storage

• Fruits are usually ready to be harvested 4-6 weeks after flowering.
• Harvest only red (ripe) berries, and pick every three days.
• Cut at the stem; do not pull the berry or you may damage the plant.
• For strawberries carrying June, the harvest will last up to three weeks. You should have plenty of berries, depending on the variety.

23. How to Store Strawberries

• Store unwashed berries in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
• Strawberries can be kept frozen for about two months.

24. Varieties of Strawberries

• ‘Northeaster’ is best suited in southeastern Canada and the northeastern US. The fruit has a strong taste and aroma.
• ‘Sable’ is strong in zone 3, first season, good taste.
• ‘Primetime’ is a mild flavored, disease-resistant variety, best suited to the Mid-Atlantic.
• The ‘Cardinal’ is a good variety to try in the South.
• ‘Camarosa’ is a beautiful variety to try on the West Coast.
• ‘Tristar’ is a neutral variety for day light that is best suited for hanging baskets.

25. What are the experiments done on Strawberries

• Strawberry As a Functional Food
• Technology for Production and Evaluation of strawberry wine.
• The potential impact of strawberry on human health
• Strawberry phytochemicals and human health
• Cropping strawberry for improving productivity and environmental sustainability
• Effect of cultivars and different growing technologies on strawberry yield and fruit quality
• A Sensory and Chemical Analysis of Fresh Strawberries Over Harvest Dates and Seasons Reveals Factors That Affect Eating Quality
• Fruit quantity and quality of strawberries benefit from enhanced pollinator abundance at hedgerows in agricultural landscapes
• Nutrient Composition of Strawberry Genotypes Cultivated in a Horticulture Farm
• Strawberry: Factors of high yield

Strawberry Recipes

26. Strawberry liqueur

So, this is how you can make Strawberry liqueur

Fresh Strawberries: Just keep in mind that strawberries should fill half the jar we want to fill with our liqueur. Therefore, wash them under running water and dry them thoroughly with paper towels or a cloth cloth, remove the leaves and cut them in half. Never use plastic jars, use glass jars with a non-slip seal.

Sugar syrup: syrup is made with water and white sugar. Use same amount of sugar and water (500ml of water, 500g of sugar likewise).
Grab a bowl, add water and bring to a boil, reduce heat, add sugar and stir with a spoon until all the sugar has dissolved and the lumps have disappeared. It is important to keep the syrup at room temperature.

Alcohol: You can use brandy or vodka, as long as it is white to take on the strawberry red color.

Cinnamon stick: use two cinnamon sticks for 500ml of alcohol

• Step 1: Fill a strawberry pot to about halfway through
• Step 2: add cinnamon
• Step 3: Fill with alcohol
• Step 4: Close the jar and allow to rest for 30 to 45 months (30 – 45 days) in a dry and dark place (shake it occasionally).
• Step 5: Strain the pot using coffee, cloth, or paper filter, place the filter on top, and filter all the mixture
• Step 6: mix in a pot or any other pre-filtered mixture with sugar syrup, you should measure the same amount of this, mix with a spoon to mix them
• Step 7: Allow it to rest for a week before eating, even if it is already drinking.

The great thing is that this liqueur has no expiration date.

27. Strawberry Extract

Making strawberry extract at home is very similar to applying water or vodka, but the liquid ratio to strawberries is significantly lower. Note that other types of alcohol such as bourbon or rum can be used to make the extract, but the taste of those alcohols will affect the overall notes and the flavor of the extract.

Even more concentrated flavors take months or more to develop, but once an extract is made, it remains for many more months. Follow these recipes to make a strawberry extract or any other extract you like.

Total time: 8 weeks | Preparation time: 15 minutes | Serving: 1 bottle of strawberry extract

Raw materials: 3/4 cup strawberries (finely chopped), 1 cup of vodka or vinegar

Equipment: 1 clean glass jar, Cheesecloth, Funnel, Clean & dark dropper bottles

Steps:

1. Put all the parts in a glass jar in boiling water for 15 minutes to clean it before using the extract.
2. Allow both glass jar and lid to dry and allow to cool.
3. Then add finely chopped strawberries to a clean dry glass jar. Two-thirds of the jar should be filled with dried strawberries, so if the jar is not nearly filled, add more fruit.
4. Pour vinegar or vodka over the strawberries, making sure the fruit is completely immersed in the liquid. Do not be afraid to gently push the fruit down.
5. Store the fruit and vodka or vinegar mixture in a cool dark place, such as a pantry, for 8 weeks. Shake the jar daily to flip the mixture over and check if all the fruit is soaked in alcohol or vinegar.
6. If at some point the fruit is not under vodka or vinegar, add more liquid until all the ids are completely covered by the liquid.
7. After 8 weeks, strain the mixture through a cheesecloth. This helps prevent any seeds or sediments from entering the strawberry extract.
8. Using a funnel, pour the strawberry extract into clean, dark drip bottles.
9. Store in a cool dry place.

You can buy Strawberry extract from Amazon

28. Strawberry mochi

Ingredients:

• 2 cups (320 grams) mochiko (glutinous rice flour)
• 2 cups (475 mL) water
• 1/2 cup (100 grams) sugar
• 1 can anko (red bean paste – optional)
• More mochiko, for dusting/or use corn starch if it’s easier
• Whole strawberries, rinsed and hulled
• Cooking spray or oil, to avoid stickiness

Steps :

1. Fold the strawberries with the red beans and set them aside.
2. Mix water, mochiko, and sugar until smooth.
3. Coat a microwave-safe container with oil or cooking spray.
4. Pour the batter into a shallow layer.
5. Cover with an airtight lid or wrap in plastic and microwave ovens for 7 minutes on High or until done.
6. Dust the work surface or cutting board with mochiko flour.
7. Pull a small piece of dough, roll it into a ball, and flatten it down.
8. Take a whole strawberry, place it in the middle of a flat piece, and squeeze it to close it to make a nice ball full of strawberry.
9. It’s yours.

29. Strawberry Essential Oil

strawberry oil ( ananassa × Fragaria) is produced by cold pressing the fruit seeds and thus preserves body nutrients, such as Anti-aging, blocking ultraviolet radiation, shining hair, lightening the skin and more.
Massage: Easy to sew and easy to rub on the skin. You can apply it to your body after a bath, to enjoy the healing effect from its pleasant aroma. The nourishing ingredients will not leave your skin smooth and soft, but your whole body will feel relaxed.

30. How to make Strawberry puree (Sauce)

So, What is Strawberry puree?? We can just call it as Strawberry Sauce which is a delicious combination of strawberries and sugar. Very simple steps. And you all need is process either frozen or fresh unsweetened sauce, along with sugar, until smooth.

Ingredients :

• Large fresh strawberries (6)
• 2 tablespoons of sugar
• Water
• White sugar

Steps :

1. Wash the strawberries and remove the green top of each strawberries.
2. Cut each strawberry in half lengthwise and place in a pot.
3. Add white sugar – at least 2 tablespoons
4. Add cup of water and heat the medium
5. Boil for around 15 mins to heat the medium
6. After around 7-10 minutes stir it and mash it with a fork or spoon
7. After 5 more minutes Stir again
8. Turn off the heat and put sauce in a serving bowl.

31. How to make Strawberry milk

Everyone loves Strawberry you know. So, here you are going to make a strawberry Milk. And let’s go…

Ingredients :

• 12 strawberries
• 2 cups of oat milk
• 1 tbs sugar

Steps :

• Clean and cut off stems of strawberries
• Use a fork or potato masher and mash 9 strawberries until squashed to your liking (lots of juices)
• Add sugar and let it sit until dissolved around 5 min
• Dice the left over strawberries finely
• To serve, pour the strawberry sauce (mashed strawberries), diced strawberries, and oat milk (or whatever milk) mix and drink ^^
• If you want to store, sterilize a glass jar and pour into it like step 5 and shake well before serving

32. Strawberry shortcake ice cream

This Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Cake is a show-stopping strawberry dessert! Made with crushed shortbread cookies, strawberry shortcake ice cream, and homemade strawberry sauce, it’s a no bake dessert everyone will love!

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 cups frozen strawberries (about 520g)
• 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
• 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons corn starch
• 2 litres Chapman’s Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream
• 3 cups crushed vanilla cookies
• 1/2 cup melted butter

Steps:

1. Get Frozen Strawberries and add them in a bawl
2. Then add sugar
3. Add water
4. Heat up and stir the mixture
5. Add corn starch and cream together
6. Then pour all the mixture into a ball – Strawberry sauce is done.
7. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature
8. Crush all the vanilla cookies. Let your children do it.
9. Put all crushed cookies into melted butter and stir
10. Add half of cookies in the pan as the first layer of our cake
11. Then add Ice cream layer top of the cookie layer
12. Add one sauce layer top of the Ice cream layer
13. Add another cookie layer
14. Fill completely with the ice cream layer
15. Then again add Strawberry sauce and keep in the freezer to cool.
16. Then add whipped ice cream and Some Strawberries.

Hope you got more details about strawberry from this article and leave a comment if you have any questions regarding to Strawberry. I’m here to help.

Thank you!!!

But what’s not usual is the astounding nutrient density and health benefits of the fruit, leading it to rightly be called a “superfood”. (For your information, a superfood is a term used to refer to foods, mostly plant-based but also fish and dairy, that are extremely nutrient dense and good for your health. This bright orange berry ticks both those boxes.)

You might see this fruit being called cape gooseberries, groundcherries, husk cherries or Inca berries. They’re called that because golden berries are actually native to the Andes mountains, home of the Inca people. The ancient people have cultivated the fruit as far back as 4,000 years ago. Perhaps they knew the health benefits of the golden berry as well! Despite this almost mythic past, the nutritious golden fruit is making a comeback: they are rapidly gaining fame thanks to their health benefits, great taste and the sheer variety of recipes you can put them in.

In this article you’ll get to know about golden berries’ nutrition, how it benefits you, some potential side effects, and most importantly — how to eat them.

Nutrition wonders of the golden berry

The golden berry punches above its weight when it comes to nutrition. 100 grams of the fruit on average contains the following(1):

• 53 calories
• 11.2 grams of carbs
• 1.9 grams of protein
• 0.7 grams of fat
• 5% recommended daily value of Vitamin A
• 10% recommended daily value of Thiamine (B1)
• 3% recommended daily value of Riboflavin (B2)
• 19% recommended daily value of Niacin (B3)
• 13% recommended daily value of Vitamin C
• 8% recommended daily value of iron
• 6% recommended daily value of phosphorous
• 1% recommended daily value of calcium.

Aside from these nutrients, the golden berry also boasts high amounts of beta-carotene and vitamin-K (2). We’ll look at what these do, and other health benefits of golden berries, up next.

Health Benefits of Golden Berries

As you saw above, this fruit is brimming with nutrients and a whole bunch of assorted goodness. Here’s what all those nutrients of golden berries impact your health: (hint, they’re all positive impacts!)

1.Golden berries Improve your immunity

As we mentioned above, 100g of these berries contain 13% of your recommended daily intake of vitamin C. This vitamin is what boosts the production of white blood cells in your body, which in turn help protect your body from infections (3). 

Popping a few golden berries will also reward you with multiple polyphenols, which can prevent inflammatory immune markers (4). But more on that later

2. Golden Berries can Combats Cholesterol

Golden berries have been studied to contain an antioxidant named “phytosterol” (2). While we’ll be talking about antioxidants in just a second, phytosterols are important because they can help lower the amount of LDL cholesterol in your blood (5). LDL cholesterol, by the way, is the so-called “bad cholesterol”, because a high low-density cholesterol level leads to cholesterol buildup in your arteries. This in turn could spell coronary artery disease and related problems (6). 

Long story short, eat your golden berries and it’ll help keep your cholesterol in check.

3. Golden Berries Protect your cells from free radicals

Free radicals are molecules produced in your body when you digest food or when you smoke, and have been linked to aging and cancer (7, 8). Antioxidants are a plant compound that keep free radicals at bay. And they are high in antioxidants (9). 

Going into more detail, our little orange fruit contains phenolic compounds which have been shown to inhibit cancerous growth specifically in the breast and colon (10).

In summary, golden berries are an excellent food item to provide your body with cancer-blocking, anti-aging antioxidants.

4. Golden berries Help prevent inflammation

Inflammation is your body’s way of protecting you from invading infections, including viruses and bacteria (11). Unfortunately, sometimes your immune system triggers this response when there isn’t any threat. In the end all that’s attacked and damaged are your own cells.

Golden berries contain a natural steroid called “withanolides” (12). While they won’t make you buff, these steroids might help reduce or prevent inflammation in cases such as arthritis and auto-immune diseases (13). 

5. Other benefits: improved vision, bone health, digestive health

These delicious little gems come with a host of other health benefits as well. 

Thanks to their beta-carotene content, as well as a few other carotenoids (2), golden berries are great if you’re looking to keep your sight healthy. This is because fruits high in carotenoids, such as the golden one in question, have been linked to a lowered risk of blindness brought on by macular degeneration (14).

Another great perk of the golden berry is that it’s high in vitamin K (2). Your body needs this vitamin to, among other things, have healthy bones and cartilage. It’s also important for your bones to stay new and strong (15).

Finally, golden berries contain a good amount of dietary fibre (16). Fibre is invaluable in normalizing bowel movements and maintaining bowel health, as well as lowering blood cholesterol levels and blood sugar levels (17, 18). 

Side effects: what to watch out for when eating golden berries

Despite their sweet, golden appearance, golden berries belong to the nightshade family of plants. As such, it’s best to take some precautions when popping a few of these fruits.

Because of their plant family, unripe golden berries contain a natural toxin named solanine (19). This substance is known to cause cramps and diarrhea. Some rare cases have been fatal. (20).

It’s best to err on the side of caution and only eat ripe golden berries. You can spot these by their fully golden color, with the absence of any green areas. 

You should also practise moderation when it comes to eating this delicious fruit: in certain non-human tests, very high doses of golden berry juice have resulted in heart damage in mice. Again, better safe than sorry: as good as golden berries are, limit your consumption.

How to eat golden berries

With a solid understanding about what golden berries do for your health, it’s about time we looked at what they can do for your meals. 

There are many ways you can add golden berries to your diet. Their unique tart taste stands out in a variety of bakes, as well as just about any snack where you would add fruits. 

Here are a few particular ways you can use golden berries:

• Add them to fruit salads,
• Add them to non-fruit salads!
• Use them to add an interesting flavor to smoothies,
• Use them in fruit-and-nut yoghurt,
• Make them into a jam,
• Add them to granola, oatmeal or trail mix,
• Dip them in chocolate for a decadent dessert, or
• Eat them raw for a healthy snack!

As long as you remember that golden berries are more tart than sweet, you can get as creative as you want with them.

In conclusion

Golden berries are good in a lot of ways: they do good for your body while tasting just as good. There’s a reason it’s called a superfood. 

As long as you remember to eat them when they’re ripe, and toss the covering husk, this right gem of a fruit will provide you with an avalanche of health benefits. Also, as hard as it will be, try not to eat too much…

We wish you healthy berry snacking, and hope you’ll let us know your golden berry story down in the comments.

Avocado or the butter fruit is a delicacy in many parts of the world. Irrespective of the different cultural food preferences, many people around the world like to eat this fruit. Usually, this is one of the most healthy fat-rich food that you can easily reach. Not only healthy fat, but it is also rich in dietary fibers, minerals, and vitamins too. Therefore It makes it a good solution for a healthy diet. But everything has pros and cons. Avocado allergy is one of the main problems of avocado consumption. In this article, we will provide you all the details regarding avocado allergy. This will include prevention steps and the treatments as well.

How a normal allergy occur in your body??

The allergic reaction starts sooner when your body’s immune response to the allergen. When allergens enter your body, Your body immediately starts to produce antibodies. We call these antibodies, IgE proteins. Of course, every allergen is not harmful. But These antibodies identify them as harmful. Clearly this is the reason why your body shows various bad symptoms during an allergy.[1][11]

How Avocado allergy occurs??

This is quite the same process as in the above chapter, Surely the allergy starts when certain proteins in avocado enter your body. The body’s immunity system produces antibodies. Then those antibodies identify the proteins as harmful substances. Clearly similar reactions will start to occur. But of course, the severity varies from person to person.

Usually, You may get this allergy due to proteins with cross reactivity. Clearly these proteins are available in avocado pear. However, this allergy is mostly related to your mouth and throat. We can simply classify allergic conditions into two categories.

• Allergy due to birch pollen
• Latex allergy

Avocado allergy due to birch pollen

Simply we can define this as the oral allergy. Surely if you are a sensitive person, after consuming avocado the symptoms will start to appear. Depend on the person it will take 1 to 2 hours. There’s no difference if you eat raw avocado or avocado combined foods, in terms of symptoms. They will still appear if you are sensitive to avocado allergens. However, the symptoms occur mainly in the mouth and throat. Other than that you will see some general allergy symptoms too.[2]

Avocado allergy due to Latex

In simpler words, we can define this as a relationship between sensitivity to latex and fruit allergy. We call this allergy latex-fruit allergy syndrome. According to the latest studies, scientists say that There’s is cross-reactivity between latex and avocado. However, scientists say that allergen proteins in latex are complex. [5]. Therefore it is difficult to diagnose the particular allergens in them.

Furthermore, this allergic condition shows Cross – sensitive reactions to different fruits and vegetables. They include tomatoes, peaches, potatoes, bananas, melons, Pineapple, etc.

What is this cross-sensitivity??

This is a condition that will appear when proteins in one food are similar to proteins of some other food. If your immune system identifies them as harmful, it will produce antibodies. And will start allergic reactions in your body. If there are a number of fruits that have similar proteins, After consuming any of these fruits you may become allergic.[4]

This is a significant reason for cross-reactive conditions with other fruits and vegetables. Therefore it is somewhat difficult to identify a particular allergy due to an allergen.

What about the latex fruit allergy?? this cross-reactivity is starting with latex. There are some foods showing cross-reactivity to latex. That means the presence of similar proteins in them. So if you are sensitive to latex, there is a high possibility for you to have an avocado allergy.[3]

What about Symptoms??

• There can be itching conditions in your mouth
• swelling of the tongue
• Wheezing and tightness in the chest ( Symtpms relate to asthma)
• Diarrhea conditions can be more frequent
• Cramps in the abdomen[3]
• Runniness in the nose is common in latex -fruit allergy
• Hives
• In severe conditions, Anaphylaxis can occur[6]

What is the relationship between anaphylaxis and avocado??

Well, Anaphylaxis is the extreme form of an allergic reaction. Your whole body will react to the allergic reaction. And also the immune system acts in an inappropriate manner. Considering the severity, it can be a threat to a patient’s life. But however, it is most unlikely to occur anaphylaxis with avocado alone. Because there is very little evidence on this aspect for study results.

But be cautious!! if you get anaphylaxis, you should know the symptoms that may appear. It will be helpful for you to get the necessary remedies quickly.

• You may feel fainting
• Shortness in breathing (that means fast breathing)
• heart beating may become fast
• Loss of consciousness
• You may be Anxious
• and may have a feeling of confusion[7]
• Low blood pressure and Warmness[8]

If you get these symptoms after eating avocado, Then there’s a high chance that you have anaphylaxis. So immediately you should do the following things.

• First, check whether there is breathing difficulty. If there’s no breathing difficulty keep the patient in a flat position. If not keep in a sitting position.
• Inject adrenaline as soon as possible.
• If There’s no response, then increase the dose of adrenaline
• Observe the patient for about 3-4 hours. if not recovering he needs medical attention.[9]

How do you diagnose Avocado allergy?

The first thing you have to do is check for symptoms after eating an avocado. If the symptoms are positive then go for the following tests. Before going for tests look for the family history of allergy and the medical history of having an allergy. If there’s an allergic history definitely you should go for the below tests.[10]

• Skin prick tests
• Blood tests

In the skin prick test, the triggers are inserted into your skin by a prick. And then check for allergic reactions. If the allergic symptoms occur then you are allergic to those allergens.

In the blood tests, they take a blood sample to check for allergic reactions outside the body. Like in the above case entering potential allergens is not necessary.

How to prevent avocado allergy??

There are number of things that you can do to prevent this allergy conditions. They are as follows.

1. The first thing you have to do is avoid avocado. It is present in many forms of fruits. So Try to prevent the below foods.

• avocado may present in certain salads and different recipes. They may present as a main ingredient or as an ingredient to add a creamy texture
• Or else avocados may present as butter or fat substitute
• And also some baked products include avocado to get a smooth puffy texture
• some use them in cookie recipes.
• In addition to food, people use them in cosmetic products like body lotions, shampoo, etc.

2. Go for avocado substitutes

• Squash is a good substitute for avocado. Although it is not very rich with flavor, you can use it along with many other foods like onion and garlic.
• Broccoli and asparagus are some other substitutes for avocado with a stronger flavor
• Smashed banana also has a similar texture to avocado in different recipes[13]
• Additionally, Chia seeds, almond, peanut butter can also be used as substitutes for avocado in many recipes [12]

What are the treatments for avocado allergy??

Similar to many other allergies you can use anti-histamine drugs f9or avocado allergy. There is a number of other treatments you can use for this allergy.

• for itching, you can use cortisone cream
• For severe allergic situations, you can use epinephrine
• And also as a solution, you can undergo immunotherapy too ( It is a long term method of treatment to relieve severe allergic reactions)

We hope this article will provide all the answers to your questions regarding avocado allergy. If you have any questions feel free to ask!!

Why packaging is necessary??

Well, the packaging is necessary for ensuring the safety of food products. Here we are talking about fruits. Fruits are perishables.they undergo many mechanical damages during handling transport.

How can we stop them?? Clearly, well-designed packaging is a better solution. Packaging companies find new packaging solutions for three main purposes. Firstly to prevent mechanical damages. Secondly to contain the product and thirdly for marketing and information purposes.[1]

Now lets see what type of packages are available.

Types

• wooden packaging types
• wire bound crates
• Corrugated fiberboard
• pulp containers
• Paper mesh bags
• plastic bags
• Shrinkwrap
• Rigid Packages
• Trays

Surely there are many packaging types available from wood. Most importantly different packaging companies produce varying types of wood packagings.

• Pallets
• Baskets and hampers
• crates and lugs

Particularly there are also different packaging systems available for fresh fruits.

• Active Packaging
• Intelligent packaging

First, let’s take a deep look into the features of different types of packages. And also which packaging companies produce them. Furthermore, we will discuss their role for different fruits.

1. Wood packaging available in packaging companies

Well, different fruit packaging companies produce different forms. Wood pallets are one of them.Obviously this is the most frequent packaging material for fruits.

Wood pallets

Obviously we use wood pallets to deliver fresh produce to customers. In the early times, packaging companies produced pallets mostly for single use. But now with the time, the companies are standardizing the sizes of the pallets.

However, there is no single official standard size. But of course, there are some ISO standards for sizes. On the other hand, there are some American standards for pallets too. But packaging companies produce most of the packages with 40 in x 48 in x 6 in size. of course, there are other standard sizes too. Cleary there are plenty of benefits for users and packaging companies due to this standardization.[1][4]

Benefits

• Obviously due to this now re-using is increasing.
• As a result of reducing cost now there are pallet racks and new handling equipment
• They are indeed efficient in the use of space in transporting vehicles.
• And also capable of tolerating heavy loads.
• Additionally, you can reduce the disposal costs with warehouse costs by pallets for single use.

What are the standard sizes??

Well surely there six ISO pallet sizes.Mostly Packaging companies produce pallets according

• 40.00 × 48.00 inches
• 45.9 × 45.9 inches
• 42.00 × 42.00 inches
• 43.30 × 43.30 inches
• 39.37 × 47.24 inches
• 31.50 × 47.24 inches

Are there alternatives for pallets??

[1]Obviously there are alternatives available in packaging companies. Of course, Plastic pallets are one of the very first alternatives. But clearly slip sheets are also another type of alternative. Although they are similar to pallets, there are some differences too. Unlike the wooden pallets, you can easily move a slip sheet with its forklift.[1]

On the other hand, comparative to pallet companies needless cost for production and cheap for consumers as well.Besides they are easy to store too.

Wooden crates

Although there are different alternatives still packaging companies widely produce them. This is because people use them widely for different fruits and vegetables as well. Let’s look into types of crates available.

wire-bound crates

Obviously packaging companies produce them, especially for beans and corn. They are also available in different sizes. Surely in this packaging material, it has a larger amount of open space. This will aid the good ventilation and cooling process.[1][2]

clearly, it has a high stacking strength. And also it is less affected by water. Definitely the wires beneath the stitches are responsible for strength. Companies produce them for oranges, potatoes, and grapefruits as well.

Collapsible crates

Particularly this crate type is convenient in terms of storage. You can easily fold it. And also you can remove the top and the bottom parts easily.[2]

Nailed crates

Well, this is a kind of box with good strength. Usually, people use them for domestic transport. Or else you can use it to transport produce from a farmer to the trader. Like the above one, this is also better for ventilation.

Obviously the advantage is the strength is unaffected by water. And also you can easily repair them.[2]

On the other hand, its production cost is high. And the freight volume is high too.

Baskets and hampers

Packaging companies produce these baskets for a series of sizes. Clearly for fruits and vegetables. Surely you can use it for a range of crops including different berries and yams.[1]

Definitely they are durable but palletizing and disposal is difficult. Clearly it makes them kind of difficult to use.

2. Fiberboard boxes available in packaging companies

Clearly, there are two types of fiber board boxes produced by packaging companies.These are kinds of boxes.Namely,

• Solid fiberboard
• Corrugated fiber board

Solid fiberboard

Well, for kinds of boxes if you apply waxes, they are resistant to moisture. You can use them for transporting ginger, tomato and Cucurbita family vegetables.[4]

Besides it is easy to label them with customer oriented information.

Corrugated fiberboard

Clearly, you may have mistaken this as cardboard. But it is not cardboard!! Packaging companies produce them in vastly different designs. Obviously this is one of the most popular packaging materials.[1] [2][4]

More importantly, companies produce them in multilayers. And the multilayers are made of paperboards. Surely they are made of different components.

Package manufacturers easily change the strength of the box. For that, they change facing material, thickness, and fluting material. clearly the number of walls also have an effect here.[2]

Components

First, if they are made of pulp without bleaching, boxes are brown in color. But highly strong. Secondly, if they contain wood fibers and synthetic fibers, then they are extra strong. In addition, packaging companies try to increase recycled fibers . Because that will increase the strength during stacking.

Well, among the types of fiberboard boxes, double-faced fiberboard (also known as single wall board) is most popular. It consists of an inner layer, outer layer, and paperboard in the middle. As a result, it is fairly strong enough to handle perishables.

But recently packaging companies tend to produce multi-walled fiberboard.Obviously they are suitable for packing pumpkins, potatoes, citrus, and melons.Usually packing houses use the triple-walled board as an alternative for wood.

Constraints

• Definitely, When humidity is high these packages lost their strength. Surely by waxing you can prevent this.
• But waxing makes fiberboard difficult to recycle, which means problems occur in landfills.

Positive factors

Most importantly packaging companies form the geometry of the fiberboard in a special way. As a result, it carries the stacking pressure by its corners. Therefore fiberboard can protect the produce from crushing.

3. Pulp containers available in packaging companies

They are made of starch and paper pulp. Therefore definitely biodegradable in nature. Starch act as binders here. Packaging companies produce them in Various designs to attract customers.

Positive factors

Especially these packages can absorb moisture in the product surface. Therefore this is a great solution for berry fruits and small fruit types. Because they easily deteriorate with moisture.

3. shrink wrap films

Obviously it is one of the novel packaging trend.You can easily use shrink wrapping for corn, onions, apples and yams like potatoes. And also it is better for tropical fruits too.

Positive factors

• Surely they can prevent diseases
• Unlike other packages it avoids shrinkage.
• Most importantly prevents damage

Rigid packages

Usually, these packages are also called clam-shells.Top and the bottom parts are formed from plastics.Packaging companies produce them due to various favorable factors they posses.However, now they are becoming popular due to many reasons.Now Lets look what those factors are,

• They are fairly cost-effective
• Very attractive appearance
• Definite physical protection from damage

Clearly you can use them for berries and small fruits. And most probably for mushrooms too.

Packaging systems available in packaging companies

Well, there are two packaging systems in novel packaging systems. Packaging companies

Active packaging systems

Obviously, in active packaging, we incorporate different constituents to the packaging. So that it can improve the shelf life of the product. Therefore most Packaging companies incorporate active packaging systems to their packages.

Obviously now it is a growing trend. Now let’s go through some types of active packaging systems

Oxygen scavengers

Clearly, when the oxygen levels are high it leads to oxidative reactions. As a result, deterioration happens. Surely it will degrade color and flavor compounds and lipids as well. Look for the examples given below.

1. FreshPax® and FreshMax®

Well, this has good absorbing qualities and it is present in packets. Obviously this can elevate the carbon dioxide level while reducing oxygen level..[3]

Surely they adhere effectively to the package and prevent aerobic microorganisms too.

2. Oxyguard Tray®

Obviously, you can use this scavenger to prevent atmospheric oxygen from entering the package. Besides, it can elevate the carbon dioxide level while decreasing the oxygen level. However, with this active packaging systems, most of the drawbacks occur in packaging companies can be eliminated.[3]

3. Ageless®

Most frequently manufacturers use this oxygen scavenger for their packages. Definitely this will increase the shelf life of the product.

Perhaps you may think oxygen scavengers are the only active packaging systems. But it’s not true. Obviously there are other systems with emitters and absorbers. .[3]

what are those emitters?

Surely those emitters are carbon dioxide and ethanol emitters.

What are the absorbers?

Humidity and ethylene absorbers are examples for that.

Intelligent packaging systems

How can we define this ?

Briefly, we can describe it as a system that monitors food properties. And more precisely it .gives information about the state of the product properties. Clearly it gives a hidden message to consumers if there is any change in the product properties.[3]

Surely, with these packaging systems, it’s possible to eliminate most of the drawbacks in packaging companies. Because they improve the quality of the package.

In which forms are they available??

Obviously There are available in two forms.

• The first form is Time Temperature Indicators
• The Second form is Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide Indicators

Asthma is an inflammatory disease associated with the respiratory tract. During asthma, the airway lining of the lungs becomes inflamed and swollen. Further, excess mucus production occurs and spasm of the muscles of the respiratory tract occurs. Finally, this results in reduced airflow and difficulty in breathing. These disturbances lead to appear symptoms of asthma. The most prominent symptoms of asthma include as mentioned below.

• shortness of breath
• tightness in the chest
• coughing especially at night
• wheezing or whistling sound at breathing
• fatigue
• breathlessness
• Increased respiratory rate

According to the severity of the symptoms, asthma can be classified into 4 categories. They are mild intermittent asthma, mild persistent asthma, moderate persistent asthma, and severe persistent asthma. The severity of asthma can be managed by identifying its symptoms at a mild level. (1), (2), (3)

Types of Asthma

The experts have classified different types of asthma for the easy of understanding. They are as follows.

• Allergic asthma
• Non-allergic asthma
• Exercise-induced asthma
• Adult-onset asthma
• Nocturnal asthma
• Occupational asthma
• Asthma in children
• Status asthmaticus
• Aspirin-induced asthma

Asthma trigger factors

Symptoms of asthma can be worsened by environmental factors called “asthma trigger factors”. Avoiding trigger factors is the best way to manage asthma. The most common trigger factors of asthma include the following.

• Allergens like pollen, pet dander, mold, and dust mites
• Changes in weather like humidity and temperature changes
• Exercise
• Infections like colds, sinusitis, and flu
• Strong odors or perfumes
• Irritants like tobacco smoke, paints, cleaning solutions, and air pollution
• Strong emotions like stress, anxiety, laughter, and crying
• Medications like asthma

Actually there is no cure for asthma, but can be managed properly. Nearly 5-10% of the world population or 23.4 million persons including 7 million children are affected by asthma. Estimates of world health organization reported that 250,000 people die due to asthma. Many of these deaths are avoidable with proper treatment and care. Adults are four times more prone to die from asthma than children. (4),(5)

Best Food Choices

Foods including flavonoids, magnesium, mono-unsaturated fatty acids, vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin D are importantly helpful to reduce the allergic symptoms of asthma.In an asthmatic attack, trigger factors cause constrict the airways and release histamine which is an inflammatory agent. Histamine promotes the release of mucous making it difficult to breathe. Studies have found that vitamins can neutralize the inflammatory agents by counteracting them. Furthermore, foods with anti-inflammatory agents will be more beneficial to reduce inflammation related to the respiratory tract. Therefore be wise in selecting foods that will ease the respiratory problems. Good dietary practices help to avoid the progression of disease severity. (6)

Study evidence proves that people with poor vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids were more likely to have poor lung function. Another study was done in 2007 shows that children who had a Mediterranean diet at their childhood rich in fruits like apples, grapes, and nuts were less likely to show respiratory complications. (7)

1. Apples

A study related to pregnant ladies showed that eating more apples during pregnancy help to reduce the risk of asthma and wheezing of their born children. The reason for this effect is the presence of phytochemicals like flavonoids. Apples with peels are high in flavonoid content than apple flesh alone. Furthermore, apples are enriched with antioxidants that fight against inflammatory mediators. The pectin present in apples is digested and fermented by good microflora of the body and stimulate to produce antibodies and white blood cells. They also fight against inflammatory mediators. (7), (8)

2. Avocado

Avocado is a food of choice for asthmatic patients to reduce allergic symptoms. It is a good source of mono-unsaturated fatty acids, glutathione, and omega-3 fatty acids. Glutathione scavenges free radicals while omega-3 fats fight against bronchial inflammation and help to alleviate the respiratory discomforts. (9), (10)

3. Carrot

Importantly carrot has beneficial properties to avoid respiratory complications. These properties are due to the presence of beta-carotene, an antioxidant. Beta-carotene is converted into vitamin A within the body and reduce the incidence of exercise-induced asthma. Also, carrots can expel excess mucus from the body. (11), (12), (13)

4. Green leafy vegetables

Green leafy vegetables are loaded with vitamin A. These vitamins can neutralize the inflammatory agents like histamine that aggravate the symptoms of asthma. Moreover, eating plenty of green leafy vegetables reduce the production of mucus within the body. Spinach is the best green leafy vegetable enriched with vitamin E, vitamin C, magnesium, beta-carotene, zinc, iron, and calcium. So spinach is the best green leafy solution to relieve respiratory complications. (14), (15)

5. Ginger

Ginger is a well-known herbal remedy with many beneficial properties to overcome respiratory problems. It is known to possess anti-inflammatory activity due to the presence of antioxidants. In addition to that, ginger can act on the smooth muscles of the respiratory tract and cause broncho relaxation. Simply ginger can be added to once diet as a flavoring agent, as a spice or as a beverage. (13), (16)

6. Turmeric

The main active chemical compound present in turmeric is curcumin. Curcumin is responsible for the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of turmeric. Also, it can lower the airway inflammation that characterizes asthma. In a study published in the August 2014 “Issue of the Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research”, showed that adults with asthma who took 500 milligrams (mg) of curcumin daily for 30 days showed less airway obstruction compared to the controlled group. Turmeric can be added to once diet as a spice or as a beverage like tea. (17), (18)

7. Honey

Honey is a rich source of wide varieties of nutrients. The sweet taste of honey stimulates salivary glands and produces more saliva. This saliva acts as a lubricant of the airway and promotes the flow of air and ease the cough. Due to the above properties, honey is known as a cough suppressant. Moreover, honey can reduce the inflammation of the airway by removing the mucus in the lungs.

There are different ways in which honey can be used to relieve respiratory problems. One tablespoon of honey can be mixed with hot water and use as a beverage to remove mucus from the respiratory tract.  In addition to that, honey can be mixed with turmeric and drink twice a day to avoid the symptoms of breathlessness. Also, another drink can be prepared by adding overnight soaked fenugreek seeds to a cup of water with ginger juice and a few drops of honey. This drink helps to detoxify the lungs to reduce the risk of unwanted respiratory complications. (19), (20)

8. Caffeinated drinks

Caffeine is an important ingredient found in coffee, tea, cola drinks, and cocoa. Drinks including caffeine are “caffeinated drinks”. Caffeine is known to be a weak bronchodilator that improves lung functions. So drinking caffeinated drinks in moderate amounts will help to relieve the respiratory problems. (21), (22)

9. Beans

Particularly, beans contain prebiotics which helps reduce the risk of exercise-induced asthma. Prebiotics are indigestible plant fibers that help to grow healthy microbes in the gut. It will reduce the inflammatory response of the airway in asthmatic patients and reduce the severity of exercise-induced asthma. (23), (7)

10. Flax seeds

Another good source of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids is flaxseeds. Furthermore, they contain magnesium that relaxes the muscles surrounding the bronchioles of the respiratory tract. The ground flaxseeds are known to be more effective. The ground powder can be easily added to smoothies or cereals, or sprinkle on salads. (24), (18), (25)

11. Fatty fish

Omega- 3 fatty acids play an important role in reducing inflammation associated with asthma. Fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, sardines, tuna, and trout are known to enrich with healthy fatty acids like omega-3. Having these fish frequently will help to reduce inflammation and alleviate respiratory problems. (18)

12. Nuts

Nuts are loaded with vitamin E. Gamma-tocopherol, a kind of vitamin E found in nuts, has proven the benefits of them over the symptoms of difficulty breathing. Vitamins can reduce the level of mucus present in the lungs and reduce the discomfort. These health benefits are prominent in walnuts, pecans, and peanuts. (26), (13)

13. Dairy products

If you are not identified with an allergy to dairy products, they will not lead to asthma. Studies also confirm that dairy products do not aggravate asthma symptoms or make them worse. Reduced vitamin D level of the body leads to an increase in the risk of upper respiratory tract infections. Milk products are rich with vitamin D, calcium, and fatty acids. Dairy products like milk, yogurt, and butter are vitamin D rich dairy products. (13), (27)

14. Garlic

Garlic is one of the best home remedies to treat respiratory problems. Vitamin C found in garlic plays an important role in alleviating symptoms of asthma. Vitamin C reduces histamine release and neutralizes free radicals that constrict the smooth muscles of the airway. Moreover, garlic can boost the body to produce prostacyclin. Prostacyclin opens up the airway and promotes easy breathing. Therefore adding garlic to once diet in a moderate amount will help to relieve respiratory problems. (28), (29), (18)

15. Eggs

Eggs are a good source of vitamin D if you are not identified with allergy eggs. Vitamin D reduces the frequency of asthmatic attacks in children ages 6-15. (13)

However doctors are always saying that :

Prevention is better than cure

So what if you can simply protect you and your loved ones from cancer? Well, the answer is: you can prevent cancer easily by including more fruits in your daily diet. So read this article and find out how important these fruits in your fight against cancer and how easy for you to prevent cancer!!

01. Apples

Apples contain many biochemicals such as phenolic acids, carotenoids, and flavonoids which have antioxidant effects.  In addition, apples contain dietary fibers which also can prevent cellular damage due to oxidation.

Anthocyanin is considered as one of the main chemical compound responsible for anticancer effects in apples. Some scientists suggest that apples have the ability to prevent the occurrence of cancers like,

• Lung cancer
• Ovary cancer
• cancer in esophagus
• Colon cancer
• Stomach cancer 
• Breast cancer in the human body. (1)

Why apples are good??

Many scientists around the world have done many studies focusing on experimenting with the anticancer effects of apples. Do you know why? Because Apples are rich in anthocyanins when compared with many other fruits.

According to some studies when apple peel extracts rich with anthocyanin, are given to cancer patients it showed a significant reduction in cell proliferation of cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner. (1)

Particularly in the same experiments, the scientists found that at very low concentrations like 45µg/ml (Micrograms)a 50% inhibition can be achieved and total inhibition can be achieved at a concentration of 70 µg/ml. Isn’t that fascinating??

Furthermore, it was revealed that these extracts have the ability to control signal pathways of different enzymes involved in polyamine biosynthesis which act as potential regulators of cancer and stimulation of cancer.

Examples

• In one investigation among ten fruits rich in anthocyanin fractions, apple showed the most significant reduction of cell proliferation ( a kind of multiplication of cancer cells ) in cancer cells .Especially this was observed for breast cancer cells. So If you are a woman within the age of 30-50 try to consume apples as a habit. You won’t regret it!
• If you consume more apples, catechins along with other bioactive compounds in apples can reduce the risk of lung cancer in your body. You will get better results if apples are consumed along with onions in the diet.
• Apart from above, the phenolic mixtures of crushed and extracted juice of apples can also prevent the oxidative damage on colonic cells, Which may protect you from colon cancer. The most active compound here is the procyanidins (A form of flavonoid.produced by catechins and epicatechins) and pectins. 

Now you know how important apples in the diet. Consume more apples in a healthy way and prevent your body from cancer.

02. Annona

Phyto-chemical profile

Annona contains phenolics, flavanol triglycerides, and essential oils that give it very important properties. Among them, acetogenin compounds like javoricin, arianacin, and annopentocin are the most important compounds responsible for anticancer effects. (2)

You may not be aware, but there were a number of studies on the significant anticancer effects of Annona. Most of the scientists conducted their experiments with different plant part extracts. However, acetogenin was also tested in these experiments. These extracts were used in different cancer cell lines.

what are the benefits??

• Organic extract of (ethyl acetate) Annona leaf can be used against colon cancer cells and lung cancer cells. The leaf extract has the ability to avoid the proliferation of cancer cell lines.
• Apart from that the same extract have the amazing ability to downregulate invasion and migration of cancer cells
• Moreover, according to some other research experts, we can use this plant extract for preventing leukemic cells.

In addition to the above studies, some other different studies also suggest that you can consume this fruit and the boiled leaf extract to avoid breast cancer. Anticancer and antitumor effects of Annona can not only prevent the incidence of breast cancer but also stabilize the disease expansion if you are a cancer patient.

03. Grapes

what do you know about anticancer effects of grapes ??

Well, according to certain research experts grape juices have more potential health benefits with regard to the prevention of cancer. The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of grapes act as protection against cellular damage. Because long-term inflammation leads to cancer.

Surely Long- term exposure of cells to oxidative stress can cause damage to cellular structures. The damaged structure causes cellular dysfunction leading to cancer with time. Particularly grape is rich with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agents. Therefore it can prevent cancers like:

• Colon cancer
• Breast cancer
• Prostate cancer

Phytochemical profile

According to the conducted study results; The most important compound beneficial for cancer prevention is resveratrol. Resveratrol mainly prevents breast cancer in women. The compounds related to resveratrol in cancer prevention are,

• proanthocyanidins
• Catechins
• stilbenes

What are the cancer preventive effects??

If you have a genetic history of breast cancer, try to eat more grapes in the daily diet. Clearly it will to save yourself from cancer.

In terms of prostate cancer, grape seed extracts are more beneficial. This seed extract has the ability to slow down the growth of cancer cell lines. Stilbenes are the compounds responsible for preventing prostate cancer. (3)

Moreover, according to a scientific study done in 2011, the same seed extract along with resveratrol is better for the prevention of colon cancer and for the treatment of colon cancer patients.

However, the main compounds responsible for these effects are anthocyanins and flavonoids. Some experts suggest that red and black grapes have better functional benefits than green grapes as their anthocyanin contents are high.

Particularly for colon health, you need more dietary fibers. Apart from different phytochemicals fibers are rich in grapes.Obviously the combination of antioxidants and dietary fiber has a collective effect on cancer. Therefore Antioxidants along with the dietary fibers in the fruit give it special anticancer properties.

04. Blueberries

Blueberry is a soft, attractive fruit that contains many phytochemicals.Most probably you may eat them without knowing any health benefits. let’s see what are the wonders of blueberry that you are not aware of !!!. This fruit is rich in antioxidants.

Phytochemicals

• Phenolics
• Anthocyanins
• Pyruvic acids.

Cancer preventing effects

Clearly Pyruvic acid along with anthocyanin have the ability to slow the cancer cell proliferation. Furthermore, these chemicals can prevent carcinogenesis thereby reducing the risk of cancer occurrence. Besides blueberries act as radiosensitizers for the treatment of cervical cancer. (4) 

Blueberry anthocyanins have apoptotic properties other than anti-proliferative effects on cancer cells. Moreover, these compounds act as chemopreventive agents.

Effect of anthocyanins

However, According to some research study results on the Anticancer ability of these anthocyanins, surely the ability increases with the concentration. Therefore to make a more effective treatment, a higher concentration is important (5)

Blueberry proanthocyanidins can facilitate the induction of apoptosis in colorectal cancer cell lines. This allows it to act as an important chemoprevention agent.

Furthermore, blueberry husk along with probiotics can also be used against colon cancer. Because of the probiotics aid gut health while antioxidants in blueberry husk prevent cancer growth. However, their combination can preserve your gut health.

Vitamin C to reduce cancer induction

Apart from anthocyanin blueberry contain vitamin C which has the ability to significantly reduce tumor induction. Besides some studies on mice suggest that blueberry consumption has the potential to prevent ovarian cancer too. because it can downregulate cyclooxygenase levels which induce cancer.

05. Strawberries

As you know Strawberry is a widely consumed delicious berry fruit. In the late decades, There is an increased concern on berry fruits like strawberry as they have high fiber content and excellent nutrient composition. Besides, it has an amazing phytochemical profile too.

What are the bio-active compounds??

• Essential minerals
• Vitamin C
• Folate
• Phenolic acids
• stilbenes
• Flavonoids
• Tannins

Among the other bioactive compounds mentioned above Strawberry is rich with ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) and folate when compared to other fruits. Especially it is one of the fruit with the richest vitamin C content. (6)

All the phytochemicals including vitamin C, polyphenols, flavonoids, and tannins have good antioxidant properties that can scavenge free radicals that lead to cancer induction. However, most of the cancers occur due to ;

• long-term inflammation
• Oxidative reactions
• Metabolic syndrome (obesity)

What are the health benefits??

According to most experimental studies conducted by research experts, They suggest that strawberries have important antioxidant and anticancer properties which can prevent the above effects. Therefore you can ensure your health with strawberry consumption in daily diet.

Especially resveratrol which belongs to the stilbenes group has the key roles in cancer prevention. This may be due to their ability to downregulate proteins suppressing apoptosis and control cancer cell growth and cell transformation.

06. Raspberry

Have you ever thought an attractive fruit like raspberry would have amazing solutions for cancer?
Well, Raspberry is a fruit with a deliciously soft taste. There are different raspberry varieties all around the world which include excellent composition of bioactive compounds that aids to facilitate your health condition.

What are those bio -active compounds??

• Tannins (ellagitannins)
• anthocyanins
• essential minerals
• Vitamin C

What are the health benefits??

Apart from the above phytochemicals, dietary fiber is also an important compound that has a great deal in cancer prevention. Raspberry contains a considerable amount of fiber which can combine synergically with other antioxidant compounds to prevent cancer. (7)

However, most studies on raspberry suggest that phytochemicals extracted from raspberries have the ability to inhibit oxidative damage and decrease cancer cell proliferation.

Furthermore, experts say that phytochemicals in raspberries can not only prevent cell proliferation, but also the cancer cell initiation and development in the body.

Nutrient Composition of Strawberry

Strawberry contains a huge number of nutrients. It’s rich in many nutritive and non-nutritive bioactive compounds which helps in promoting health and disease prevention.

Bio active compounds

Bioactive compounds which contain in strawberry are very important in preventing diseases in the human body. it contains a remarkably high amount of folate and Vitamin C, Anthocyanins (Pelargonidin-3-glucoside), flavanols (catechins and procyanidins) are known as the compounds with high antioxidant capacity. (1)

Strawberries contain vitamins like Thiamine(B₁), Riboflavin(B₂), Niacin(B₃), Pantothenic acid (B₅), Vitamin B₆, Folate(B9), Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin K and minerals like Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sodium, Zinc. With these compounds, studies have shown that the phytochemicals in strawberry help in,

Disease prevention activity of Strawberry

1. Boost Your Immune
2. Reduce Inflammation
3. Prevent Cardiovascular Disease
4. Prevent Metabolic Syndrome
5. Reduce Obesity
6. Prevent Diabetes
7. Regulating Blood Pressure
8. Boost your Brain Functions
9. Anticancer Properties
10. Antimicrobial Activities

01. Boost Your Immune

Do you know Strawberry is one of the best food that can boost your immune? Strawberries are very rich in Vitamin C which is a well-known immunity-boosting Nutrient. A cup of strawberries can fulfill your daily requirement. So you can add strawberry in your daily diest and toughen your immunity. There are many other fruits like mango, papaya, Pineapple, Watermelon, Citrus fruits(orange, grapefruit) which contain Vitamin C.

Also, Antioxidants in Strawberry helps in protecting your body from free radicals. The body has many endogenous and exogenous free radicals which cause many diseases. Strawberry has marked as an excellent fruit with a wide range of beneficial effects with antioxidants in preventing disease by neutralizing free radicals. (2)

02. Reduce inflammation

Did you know that Strawberries, most the berries are the best fruits for arthritis? Arthritis Foundation has shown that strawberry is one of the best food for arthritis and they say a person can reduce C-reactive protein (CRP) to the lowest level by eating around 16 or more strawberries per week. (3).

CRP is a measure of body-wide inflammation linked to arthritis flares. Also, elevated CRP level can cause rheumatoid arthritis (RA), lupus, Ceratin types of Inflammatory bowel disease such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, (4)

You can use olive oil, green leafy vegetables, fatty fish, almonds and walnuts, oranges also help you in reducing inflammation.

03. Prevent Cardiovascular Disease

Cardiovascular diseases are a leading global health problem and studies have shown that eating fruits inversely related to cardiovascular disease. Strawberry and blueberry are some of the best fruits which can prevent this disease. Harvard Medical college studies have revealed,

women who ate the fewest blueberries and strawberries were at increased risk of heart attack. Those who ate the most were 34% less likely to have suffered a heart attack than were women who ate the least of these fruits.

Studies say that having three or more half a cup of blueberries or strawberries per week can help in preventing heart disease amazingly. (5)

You can use Avacados, Walnuts, Beans, Dark Chocalates, Leafy green vegetables, Fatty fish as other foods that have the ability in preventing CV disease.

04. Prevent Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolic syndrome is not a specific condition. It refers to a set of disease risk factors that cause cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, tissue damage. As symptoms of metabolic syndrome person may have at least three out of the following five symptoms.

1. Central, visceral, abdominal obesity, specifically, a waist size of more than 40 inches in men and more than 35 inches in women
2. Fasting blood glucose levels of 100 mg/dL or above
3. Blood pressure of 130/85 mm/Hg or above
4. Blood triglycerides levels of 150 mg/dL or higher
5. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels of 40 mg/dL or less for men and 50 mg/dL or less for women (6)

Having three of these symptoms signifies a higher risk of the diseases described above. Strawberries and including berries also contain Vitamin C, various phenolic compounds that can help in preventing above mentioned diseases.

Studies show that adding strawberries have a huge effect on reducing LDL-Cholesterol in your body which causes many diseases.

A 4-week intervention on 16 obese women with Metabolic Syndrome receiving two daily cups of
a strawberry drink (composed of 25 g of freeze-dried strawberry powder each), reported a significant
reduction in serum total and LDL-cholesterol levels.

This way strawberries do an excellent work on preventing these diseases and think about adding strawberry in your diet today. (7)

You can add beans, high content of fruits and vegetables, gains, low fat dairy, lean protein as other foods that helps in preventing Metabolic Syndrome.

05. Antiobesity Activities

Strawberry is an excellent source of anthocyanins and ellagic acid. Both anthocyanins and ellagic acid slow down the digestion rate of starchy foods and this controls the rising of blood sugar level when having starch meals. This effect is beneficial in people with Type 2 Diabetes also.

Anthocyanin can increase the level of the hormone adiponectin which helps in stimulating body metabolism and aids in weight lossing. (8)

Strawberry is rich with fiber and this helps in assisting weight loss. Fiber induces satiety and this may feel you full for a long time. If you are full, you will not eat other starchy or fatten foods.

You can use whole grains, vegetables, Nuts, Seeds, whole fruits (not juices) as other foods that help in reducing obesity.

06. Antidiabetic Activities

Most of the time people with diabetes often aim to have foods with a low glycemic load. So, most of the time you may have to limit certain foods. That’s true but if you are a big fan of strawberry you don’t have to stop eating this fruit.

Strawberries have a very low calory level, on average a cup of strawberries has 46 calories. You should maintain a healthy weight and this will help in reducing sugar level naturally. So, eating strawberry alone helps in reducing the sugar levels in your body. (9)

Strawberry contains fiber. Fiber can reduce the absorption of sugar in digestion. Also, It makes you feel full for longer and then this contributes to healthy weight management.

Also, Strawberry contains magnesium and this improves insulin resistance and reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Vitamin C in Strawberry can lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, and it helps in reducing sugar levels in the blood after meals. (9)

Also, add Cinnaomon, Eggs, Tumeric, Nuts, Leafy Greens, Fatty fish and these will be help you in reducing the risk of diabetes.

07. Regulating Blood Pressure

High blood pressure has become one of the most severe diseases all over the world. High blood pressure may lead to risk of heart attacks. But this condition can be prevented just by using a healthy diet. You must need to cut down salts. And you must need to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. When considering fruits, studies have shown that strawberry is one of the best fruits that can reduce high blood pressure.

As mentioned above diseases, strawberry is an excellent resource of anthocyanin which is a type of flavanoid and studies have shown that this has an 8% reduction in the risk of high blood pressure. Compared to other resources, strawberry is giving high enough daily requirements for the human body. (10)

One of the research has done an experiment on how 4-week strawberry intake helps in reducing blood pressure. So, they say, (11)

Daily intake of strawberries may improve endothelial function and acute changes in blood pressure, independent of other metabolic changes, and may be considered a specific food/fruit to include in a heart-healthy diet in overweight or obese subjects with moderate hypercholesterolemia.

Also, You can use Blueberry and kiwi fruit are high in anthocyanins.

08. Boost your Brain functions

The food that we eat day to day has a big impact on our health and on our brain also. If you are eating brain-boosting diet, this will help in both short and long-term brain functions.

The brain is an organ that consumes 20% of the body’s calories. So, it must need plenty of nutritious food to maintain the brain cells and the concentration throughout the day. To keep the brain healthy, we must supply nutrients like Omega-3 fatty acids which help in building and repairing brain cells. Also, antioxidants will help in reducing inflammation and stress, which can cause in aging of the brain and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. (12)

In these diseases berries do an excellent work on,

• Reducing inflammation
• Improving Neuro cells transmissions
• Boosting memory and cognitive ability,
• Reducing the cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases

As, other foods that you can add in boosting your brain functions are Dark Chocolate, Blueberries, Grains, Coffee, Avacados, peanuts, Eggs, Broccoli, Soy products. (12)

09. Anticancer Properties

Cancers have become a vast disaster all over the world and it reports 606,520 cancer deaths and 1,806,590 new cancer cases in the United States. So, you see a huge amount of people are suffering from this disease. Actually this huge number is mostly because of the food we eat. Most of them have many more chemicals that cause many diseases in our body. With the accumulation of these chemicals, it causes cancers in our body.

Strawberry contains a huge number of phenolic compounds that contribute to biological properties. So, these bioactive compounds give anti-cancer properties through various functionalities such as inducing metabolizing enzymes, modulizing gene expression, etc. (13)

Also, as a huge source of ellagic acid, it can exert an anticarcinogenic and antimutagenic effect. (13)

Like this, strawberry has huge potential in preventing cancers. When considering other foods that have anti-cancer properties, you can eat Apples, Cruciferous vegetables, Carrots, Fatty fish, Walnuts, Legumes. (14)

10. Antimicrobial activities

There are trillions of microbes in our body and some may cause many diseases. So, Antimicrobial activity refers to the process of inhibiting or killing these disease-causing microbes. They can be anti-bacterial, anti-viral, or anti-fungal.

In Antimicrobial activities, strawberry does excellent work with its nutrients such as folate, Vitamin C, several phytochemicals, and phenolic compounds. According to a study, (15)

Strawberry extracts showed a zone of inhibition of up to 18 mm against E. coli through the method of agar well diffusion 

This way strawberry is doing an excellent job on Antimicrobial activity. (15)

Also, you can use these foods which have antimicrobial properties. Cinnamon, Tumeric, Honey, lemon, Moringa (16)

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