Strawberry polyphenols and oxidative stress in chronic disease studies
What it found
In people, eating strawberries lowered cholesterol and markers of cell damage linked to oxidative stress.
Lab and animal tests showed similar reductions in oxidative damage.
What they found
Studies in people
Blood fats in people
Healthy volunteers who ate 500 g of strawberries a day for a month had lower total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides. In another trial, 20 obese adults ate freeze-dried strawberry for three weeks and saw lower plasma cholesterol.
Oxidative damage markers
Eating 500 g of strawberries daily for a month lowered malondialdehyde levels in blood and urine of healthy volunteers. People taking 25 or 50 g of strawberries a day for 12 weeks also showed lower serum malondialdehyde.
Inflammation after meals
Overweight adults who drank a beverage with 10 g of freeze-dried strawberry had lower inflammatory markers like CRP and IL-6 after a meal. Their insulin sensitivity also improved compared to a placebo drink.
Brain aging over time
A four-year follow-up of 16,010 nurses found that higher intake of strawberries and blueberries was linked to slower cognitive decline. This kind of observational study can show a link but not prove cause.
Animal and lab studies
Cell damage in rats
Rats given strawberry supplements for two months had less DNA damage and fewer reactive oxygen species after receiving the drug doxorubicin. Mitochondrial function also improved in these animals.
Tumours in hamsters
Freeze-dried strawberries inhibited tumour formation in the oral cavity of hamsters in an animal experiment.
What the authors conclude
- They conclude that high-calorie diets promote inflammation and free radical production, which contribute to chronic diseases.
- They state that strawberries contain high levels of antioxidant substances that can reduce oxidative stress.
- They suggest that eating strawberries may help prevent the development of diseases in humans.
How it was done
High-calorie diets raise free fatty acids and inflammatory signals, which create oxidative stress that can lead to chronic diseases. The authors wanted to see if the vitamin C and polyphenols in strawberries could lower this stress.
The authors gathered results from lab tests on cells, experiments in animals, and clinical trials in people. They looked at how strawberry or its extracts affected markers of oxidative stress, inflammation, and blood fats across these different study types.
What it can’t tell you
- Observational studies following people over time can only show links between eating strawberries and slower brain aging, not cause and effect.
- Results seen in rat and hamster experiments may not happen the same way in people.
- Some human trials were very short, so scientists do not yet know if the effects last long term.
The paper
- Title
- [Strawberry polyphenols decrease oxidative stress in chronic diseases]
- Type
- ReviewThe authors read earlier studies and describe what they found. It isn’t a new study.
- Evidence
- Studies in people · animals · lab
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Oviedo-Solís CI, Cornejo-Manzo S, Murillo-Ortiz BO, Guzmán-Barrón MM, Ramírez-Emiliano J (2018). [Strawberry polyphenols decrease oxidative stress in chronic diseases]. Gaceta medica de Mexico. doi:10.24875/GMM.17002759Free full textPubMed 29420521DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error