Here in Colorado we’re not quite ready for harvest!
I was leading a medicinal plant walk today through the woods next to my daughter’s school, and one of the kids asked me “what’s the difference between a food and a medicine?” Ah, I love it when people ask the right question! In summary, especially when we’re talking about plants the basic difference is that you’re probably not going to be able to make a salad out of a medicinal plant because the chemical constituents are concentrated enough that if you eat enough of it to get caloric benefit it will be either too strong a taste or not good for you. Another girl then asked the perfect follow-up question: “but can a plant be a food AND a medicine?”
Well of course. There would be no use for this website otherwise, now would there? So let’s talk today about one of my favorite medicinal foods; strawberries. In my line of work, I get to see a good portion of what’s out there on the natural supplement market, either in my own research or through patients, friends, and acquaintances who share their favorites. Of all the products I see, especially on the multilevel marketing lines, I most frequently see powders and drinks boasting that they contain “superfoods” that have such high concentrations of bioflavonoids just a shot a day will cure heart disease, prevent cancer, reverse diabetes and keep you endlessly young.
Mostly the superfoods in the products mentioned above are deep red and purple berries and fruits from foreign lands. They do, no doubt, contain high level of antioxidant flavonoids, and these types of chemicals are extremely important for maintaining healthy artery walls and preventing reversing cellular and DNA damage that can lead to cancers. However, we have super foods that are fresh and locally grown, often right here in our backyard.
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Strawberries are our first berries of the season here in North America, and they contain some of the highest concentration of bioflavonoids of any fruit in the world. They often top the list of anticancer foods, and the anthocyanadins have been shown to be good at reducing inflammation and pain. Because they have such high vitamin C content, it is best to eat them fresh and raw to maintain optimal nutritional value.
I do have to point out though, strawberries are one food that I highly recommend eating organic. Strawberries are highly susceptible to mold and pests, so there are many possible pesticides and fungicides that may be used on strawberries. Local strawberries are even better, because once they are on the truck, there will be an antifungal “bomb” released in the truck to keep them fresh for transport. Some good news on this front is that just this March a commonly used pesticide, metlyl iodide, was pulled from the market for use in California. Methyl iodide is a potent neurotoxin that has been shown to inhibit brain and nerve development for fetuses and young children. Even so, strawberries are always on the list of the “dirty dozen” because over 60 possible chemicals are used in conventional production.
So, happy late spring to you–enjoy our first fruit of the season! How lucky for us that we have strawberries as food, as medicine, as our very own superfood.