Created on: 03/19/08 - Email to friend - Print Page

Pick Strawberries and Ease Inflammation

By Mary Anne Dunkin

Satisfy your sweet tooth while easing inflammation.

Not only are strawberries juicy and delicious, they also may lower blood levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a signal of inflammation in the body. High CRP levels are associated with an increased risk of heart disease and stroke, and levels often spike when people with rheumatoid arthritis or lupus have a flare, as well.

Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health found that women who ate 16 or more strawberries (fresh or frozen) per week were 14 percent less likely than non-strawberry eaters to have elevated levels of the protein.

Although the study focused on heart disease, Howard Sesso, the study’s lead author, says that lowering CRP levels with strawberries may be helpful for arthritis, too. So go ahead – slice them on your cereal, add them to yogurt or enjoy them plain as a snack or dessert.

Try the Following Recipes:

Spinach Salad with Poppyseed and Strawberry Vinegarette

Pan-Seared Salmon and Strawberry Salsa

How much fiber do you need? Find out in,

Learn more on how foods fight inflammation. Read

Going with the Grain

Where is the Fiber

Fiber for Inflammation

Eat to Beat Inflammation.