The birthmark is strawberry-shaped. Red amour and red temptation, perfect imperfection that you can afford and indeed, you must put - on the shopping list.

With a renewed warning: strawberries, sadly, are part of the infamous list of the 12 foods most contaminated by pesticides , compiled each year by the Environmental Working Group. For this reason, the right strawberries , organic, biodynamic, or the local ones of the Slow Food Presidia must be chosen , such as the fragrant of Tortona or the grandiosa of Maletto, which grows on the slopes of Etna. Because strawberries to unleash their health & beauty properties must not be treated with toxic chemicals, of course, and must grow soaked in sunlight.

But what are these strawberry virtues? Vitamin C, first of all : 5 strawberries contain the same quantity of an orange; a cup of strawberries exceeds the daily requirement (about 130%), and contains only (about) 47 calories! This corresponds to supporting our immune system, promoting the absorption of iron by stimulating the production of collagen, a protein of the skin's connective tissue, creating a sort of barrier that promotes elasticity and resilience and prevents the formation of wrinkles.

Collagen is naturally produced by our body, which however slows down this production as we age. Refueling with vitamins C does not only have to do with the face, but also with cellulite , which is nothing more than an adipose tissue "imprisoned" in water and separated from collagen. Vitamin C and flavonoids - of which strawberries are very rich, in particular those called anthocyanins, to which we owe the wonderful red - are a powerful anti-aging and facilitate cell exchange by facilitating drainage.

Speaking of brain health , flavonoids protect cognitive abilities from the decline of aging. Moreover, combined with anti-inflammatory agents - also present in strawberries - they help in the prevention of cancer pathologies. This is coupled with the fact that strawberries help lower cholesterol, which means they help prevent heart-related diseases. Friends of eye health, they are rich in fiber that helps the intestine. And it wouldn't end here ...

Red, fragrant and joyful, they inspire creativity to consume them in purity with lemon, seasoned, drunk, cooked, and are really a pleasure even in savory dishes: from bruschetta with strawberries and goat cheese to guacamole with strawberries, from the sauce for the pork, from the salad with rocket to the pairing with scampi, the season is open for strawberry hunting in cooking recipes.

And what about their "external use"? Here is a vitamin mask for the face , with a nourishing, moisturizing and refreshing effect and which gives the skin a beautiful complexion. It is just one of the many possibilities, this proposed by Joanna Hakimova, specialist in self-lifting. With a fork, mash one or two ripe strawberries and mix them with a spoonful of sour cream: your beauty mask is ready! What's healthier and simpler?