STRAWBERRY AND ROSE HIP TEA RECIPE. THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF ROSE HIP, STRAWBERRY AND HIBISCUS.

STRAWBERRY AND ROSE HIP TEA RECIPE
THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF ROSE HIP, STRAWBERRY AND HIBISCUS.

GARDEN STRAWBERRIES

GARDEN STRAWBERRIES


The garden strawberry is cultivated worldwide for it's fruit, the common strawberry. It has a characteristic aroma, bright red color, juicy texture and sweet. It is eaten fresh or in prepared foods such as preserves, fruit juices, pies, ice creams and yogurts or dried as used in cereal bars. The garden strawberry was first bred in France and have replaced, in commercial production, 


the woodland strawberry, which  was the first strawberry species cultivated in the early 17th century.


Some may experience an allergy eating strawberries, the most common being “oral allergy syndrome” ( OAS) -  a type of food allergy, classified by a cluster of allergic reactions in the mouth in response to eating certain (usually fresh) fruits , nuts and vegetables that usually develops in adults who are hay fever sufferers.  In severe cases, it may cause breathing problems

Two of the many  varieties grown for consumption.

1-Musk strawberry- a native to Europe ( above pic)

2-Wild strawberry or also known as Woodland / Alpine/ European strawberry, is a plant that grows naturally throughout the Northern Hemisphere. It is used for gourmet food (below)
The delicate strawberries are still harvested by hand.

STRAWBERRY TEA RECIPE-..


Ingredients:

1 1/2  cup strawberry fruits

½ cup strawberry leaves-

For both strawberries and leaves, wash clean, soak with salt water for 5 minutes and finally rinse off salt.

1 tablespoon rosehip syrup

Sweetener (optional)1 teaspoon orange zest

3 1/2 cups water

If  there  are no strawberry leaves, substitute

with either  6 pieces hibiscus buds or 1 sachet of green tea
The way to prepare

Boil water with strawberry leaves or substitutes and orange zest, until 2 ½ cups left. Put off fire and stir in sweetener , then leave to cool.

Once cooled, strain away residue. Add in fresh strawberries and blend.

Pour into 2 glasses and add half  tablespoon rosehip syrup for each glass. Add some ice cubes, drink cold.

THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF STRAWBERRIES,
 ROSE HIPS AND  HIBISCUS

One cup (144 g) of strawberries contains approximately 45 calories and is an excellent source of vitamin C, potassium  and flavonoids (catechin).  Potassium may help to maintain a healthy blood pressure

Rose hips  contain some vitamin A and B, essential fatty acids and plenty of antioxidant flavonoids

Catechins  is a very powerful anti-oxidant and they oxidize extremely easily. Strawberries, Rose hips, and green tea have  great catechins.

Drinking hibiscus tea can reduce high blood pressure in people with type 2 diabeties.

Flavonoids, found in plants (specifically catechins) are "the most common group of polyphenolic  compounds found  in the human diet .

Flavonoids, a powerful anti-oxidant activity, which may be stronger than those of vitamin C and E, depending on concentrations tested


Catechins can possibly reduce  brain damage caused by strokes-

Catechin helps in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease ( destruction of  brain cells) and Parkinson’s disease (a degenerative brain disease- creating  loss of mobility and speech).

Studies show that flavonoids also have anti-allergy , anti-inflammatory,  anti-microbial, ant-cancer  and anti-diarrheal activities, inhibit  cardiovascular disease