A 1-cup serving of whole strawberries offers more vitamin C than an orange–81 mg, or more than 130 percent of the Recommended Daily Value for this nutrient, which is important for keeping your immune system strong. Strawberries are also rich in a class of phytonutrients (health-promoting compounds found in plant foods) known as phenols. The main phenols in strawberries are anthocyanins and ellagitannins. They are responsible for the red color of this berry and act as powerful antioxidants that help protect your body’s cells from damage from free radicals, or charged oxygen-like particles, according to the American Cancer Society. The phenols are anti-inflammatory because they reduce the activity of a pro-inflammatory enzyme in the human body known as cyclo-oxygenase, or COX. COX is involved in inflammation related to asthma, rheumatoid arthritis and cancer.
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