Dr David Céspedes has recently shared his concerns about a hugely popular fruit and the way many of us prepare it, claiming that “most people” are making a mistake
A sweet-tasting fruit loved by Brits up and down the country is actually “one of the worst” you can eat due to one specific reason, a doctor has claimed. Dr David Céspedes, described by Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo as a public health expert, recently took to social media to share his concerns about a well-loved fruit commonly enjoyed by tennis fans each year at Wimbledon.
He was, of course, talking about strawberries, but he wasn’t suggesting that they’re not good for us. Indeed, he was referring to the chemicals that we use to protect them against pests, saying they accumulate in strawberries more than “any other fruit”.
In fact, strawberries are packed full of antioxidants and vitamins, according to Healthline. It adds that the former, as well as plant compounds found within the fruit, could even have benefits for our blood sugar management and heart health.
Dr Céspedes, however, points out that “most people” are making a mistake when it comes to strawberry preparation, one that is simply not “enough” to address the pesticides coating the fruit.
He said: “Unfortunately, strawberries are one of the worst fruits you can eat. They accumulate more pesticides than any other fruit, and the worst thing is that most people think that simply rinsing them with water is enough.
“The most common mistake is to put them under the tap for five seconds and keep them moist in the fridge. This does not remove the residue and, on top of that, they spoil much sooner.”
David went on to share his method for cleaning strawberries, claiming that people should soak the fruit for 10 minutes in “water with salt or vinegar at 3%”, ensuring they’re rinsed thoroughly.
He added that you should then dry the fruit and keep the strawberries in a well-ventilated container, suggesting that this way will help them last and make them “really clean”.
In addition to the above benefits, strawberries are also low in calories and contain vitamin C, manganese, vitamin B9, and potassium. Meanwhile, it has also been suggested that they could aid in cancer prevention.
Studies have indicated that berries could help stave off a number of cancers through their capacity to tackle both inflammation and oxidative stress.
Healthline also indicated that strawberries have been demonstrated to “inhibit” tumour formation. It noted that this applies to animals that have mouth cancer, as well as human liver cancer cells.
According to the non-profit organisation Pesticide Action Network UK, research in 2024 demonstrated that many common foods contain PFAS pesticides, with strawberries being the “worst offenders”.
It wrote that, in 2022, 95 per cent of the 120 samples examined by the Government contained these pesticides, which are also known by the somewhat ominous moniker of “forever chemicals”.
It means that PFASs can hang around not only in the environment, but can also “accumulate” in our tissue, blood and bones. On its list of the worst offenders, strawberries came first, followed by grapes, cherries, spinach, tomatoes, and peaches/nectarines.