Health Benefits
The berries are not the only part of strawberries that are delicious and edible. The leaves can make an amazing, nutritive and medicinal tea!
Promotes Digestive Health
Arthritis
Vitamins and Minerals
Blood purification
Helps Protect Us Against Cancer
High Blood Pressure
Promotes Digestive Health
One of the best thing about strawberry leaves, compared to other leaves, is that they contain chemical compound called tannins. Tannins are bio-molecules that bind to proteins, amino acids and alkaloids, and some other things that have low pH level (or to put it simply, acidic) that put our stomach into hard works and potentially stress them out.That’s why, drinking some strawberry leaves can help keeping our stomach from aching caused by excess air (bloating), acids, nausea, or stomach cramps from stress. Additionally, because the extract has diuretic property (can stimulate urination), it can be used to treat diarrhea, intestinal and urinary problems.
Arthritis
Besides keeping our bodies safe from harmful acidic substances, strawberry leaves do have their own acid, although this one is good for our health. The name is diuretic caffeic acid. Cool naming aside, this chemical compound plays important role in removing water from our joints. How did it have anything to do with arhtritis? Actually the presence of water in joints has harmful effects, one of them is causing painful inflammation in our joints and bones, consequently makes our joints stiff and harder to move with.
The joint inflammation is one of the symptoms of arthritis. Arhtritis itself is a kind of chronic joint disorder which is kind of similar to rheumatism. So, we learned that besides easing our stomach, strawberry leaves extract can also keep our joints from aching, just how amazing is that, right?
Vitamins and Minerals
Not only the fruits, but the strawberry leaves also are very nutritious. They contain high amounts of vitamin C (actually they are considered to be the highest source of vitamin C available in nature), iron and calcium, which are essential micronutrients for maintaining overall body health.
From protecting our body from catching a cold and other harmful toxins by increasing the effectiveness of our immune system, increasing the strength of our bones and thus helping to prevent osteoporosis, to improving hemoglobin production as well as quantity of the red blood cells in our body.
Blood purification
The good thing about strawberry leaves extract is not only is it soothing and relaxing to drink for our mind and body, but also beneficial for our blood. Strawberry leaves contain iron which is an important component for the formation of red blood cells and hemoglobin. It is helpful to anyone who is treating anemia as well as anyone who needs increased iron in their diet – sportsmen, pregnant women and women in their menstrual cycle.
Not only that, strawberry also contains antioxidants such as tannins, flavonoid (naturally found in leaves, herbs and spices), and ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) which can help our body fighting against free radicals and bad cholesterol.
Helps Protect Us Against Cancer
People mostly drink extract for its soft, relaxing tastes, but most of us also drink extract because they contain antioxidants that are essential for maintaining our overall physical health. Strawberry leaves contain various antioxidants, which are rather unique because the antioxidants are found normally in different sources, starting from tannins, which are commonly found in grape vines, to flavonoids that found in herbs and spices, and lastly ascorbic acids which are found in fruits with sour tastes like citrus, grapefruits, and apples.Those reasons are probably why some people would even dare to come out dubbing the plants as “superfood.” There are, however, special kinds of tannins in strawberry leaves called ellagitannins which is associated with decreased rates of cancer death.
High Blood Pressure
It is said that strawberry leaves also have vasodilatory (dilate blood vessels) effects.They dilate the blood vessels by relaxing the muscles in the walls of arteries, which in process allows more blood flow. That makes it easier for heart to pump blood and lower the much-dreaded tension.