Early spring health should include eating more strawberries
Wang Yi, head of the Nutrition Department at Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, told reporters that the "Compendium of Materia Medica" records that strawberries can moisten the lungs, strengthen the spleen, nourish the blood, and replenish qi. For the elderly, children, and those with weak constitutions, strawberries are an excellent nourishing food. The nutritional composition of strawberries is well-balanced, with about 10 times the vitamin C content of an equivalent amount of watermelon, grapes, or apples. Additionally, strawberries are rich in iron, fructose, glucose, citric acid, malic acid, and more. For common spring ailments such as lung-heat cough, sore throat, and boils, the nutrients in strawberries can play an auxiliary therapeutic role. At the same time, due to their iron content, those with anemia can also eat them regularly.
However, Wang Yi also reminds that although strawberries are a great appetizing fruit, they are cool in nature. Therefore, in early spring, one should not eat too many at once, especially for those with a weak spleen and stomach, who are prone to diarrhea, or have excessive stomach acid. It is especially important for these individuals to control their intake of strawberries. Furthermore, people with a cold-type cough (producing white phlegm) should also avoid eating strawberries.
Additionally, many people like to cut strawberries into pieces and mix them with yogurt or milk. "From a nutritional perspective, this is not advisable," says Wang Yi. "Because the components in strawberries can affect the absorption of calcium in yogurt and milk, and also reduce the absorption rate of milk protein."
Cleaning strawberries is a headache for many homemakers. Simply rinsing with water may not be thorough enough, and scrubbing with a brush can easily damage the skin, which might transfer dirt from the brush onto the flesh. Wang Yi's own method is to first soak them in light salt water for 10 minutes, then rinse with clean water before eating. "This is because the sterilizing effect of salt water is stronger than many people think and is sufficient to clean the strawberries."