Strawberries protect the stomach lining

Strawberries—those juicy red harbingers of summer—are not only packed with healthy vitamin C, they also help prevent damage to the stomach’s mucous membrane.

In a study published in the journal Plos One, a team of Italian, Serbian, and Spanish researchers confirm that strawberries provide a protective effect on rats whose stomachs were damaged by alcohol. Rats were given ethanol, but those who had eaten strawberries prior to the ethanol suffered less stomach damage.

The high antioxidant content of strawberries along with phenolic compounds were credited with this effect, plus they activated the body’s antioxidant defences and enzymes.

Researchers conclude that eating strawberries can help prevent gastric illnesses and may slow the formation of stomach ulcers in humans.

Gastritis or inflammation of the stomach's mucous membrane may be caused by a viral infection, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication (such as aspirin), or alcohol.

Does this mean that strawberry margaritas or daiquiris should be your drink of choice? Researchers did not ply rats with anything other than ethanol. They are also quick to point out that their study was not focused on how to mitigate the effects of getting drunk.

And there’s been no word on whether the rats agreed to go to rehab.