When it comes to familiar super foods, strawberries rank among the best. These tasty red berries are known to be a significant source of vitamin C, a natural antioxidant that attracts and neutralizes free radicals—those invasive, highly reactive molecules that damage the body's natural cancer fighting cells. Many scientists believe that antioxidants can prevent cellular and tissue damage in the human body.
Dr. Shiow Y. Wang, a plant physiologist and biochemist at the U. S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service, led a recent study that investigated the antioxidant capacity and anticancer activity of multiple species of wild strawberries. According to Dr. Wang, "antioxidants are natural plant chemicals that play an important role in promoting human health. While we have known that wild strawberries are a good source for obtaining desirable traits to be used in breeding programs, little information was available on antioxidant activities and their inhibitory effects on the growth of cancer cells in specific species of wild strawberries."
The study published in the Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science found that antioxidant capacity and anti-cancer activity vary greatly among different types of wild strawberries. Researchers discovered seven types of wild strawberries that contain higher antioxidant levels and more potential to reduce cancer risk. "These seven types may be especially useful in developing cultivars with greater anticancer potential. They showed significantly greater anti-proliferation effects than other genotypes we tested", stated Dr. Wang.
Results of the research study will be valuable to scientists, fruit breeders, and produce growers interested in producing berries that are high in antioxidants. Varieties of the "super seven" strawberries may soon become available in local markets in the U.S., giving consumers a sweet new way to fight cancer.
Source: American Society for Horticultural Science
Related stories:
Fruits, vegetables and teas may protect smokers from lung cancer
Tobacco smokers who eat three servings of fruits and vegetables per day and drink green or black tea may be protecting themselves from lung cancer, according to a first-of-its-kind study by UCLA cancer researchers.
Strawberry daiquiris – the extra-healthy cocktail?
Strawberries are good for you, but serving them in daiquiri form may make them even healthier, scientists show.
Average shoppers are willing to pay a premium for locally produced food
New research suggests that the average supermarket shopper is willing to pay a premium price for locally produced foods, providing some farmers an attractive option to enter a niche market that could boost their revenues.
Extension helps strawberry growers fight aggressive plant disease
Virginia's strawberry growers have been dealing with an uninvited guest in their fields this winter, anthracnose crown rot, one of the most destructive diseases of strawberries in the southeastern United States.
Researcher Discovers Pathway Plants Use to Fight Back Against Pathogens
Plants are not only smart, but they also wage a good fight, according to a University of Missouri biochemist. Previous studies have shown that plants can sense attacks by pathogens and activate their defenses. However, it has not been known what happens between the pathogen attacks and the defense activation, until now.
The difference in eating habits between men and women
When it comes to what we eat, men and women really are different according to scientific research presented today (March 19) at the 2008 International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases in Atlanta, Georgia. In general, men are more likely to report eating meat and poultry items and women are more likely to report eating fruits and vegetables.
Purple pigments and obesity
Scientists in Arkansas are reporting new evidence that natural pigments responsible for the beautiful blue/purple/reddish color of certain fruits and vegetables may help prevent obesity. Their animal study, scheduled for the Feb. 13 issue of ACS’
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, however, reports that eating the whole fruit containing these pigments seems to be less effective than eating an extract of the berry.
Modified Atkins diet can cut epileptic seizures in adults
A modified version of a popular high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet can significantly cut the number of seizures in adults with epilepsy, a study led by Johns Hopkins researchers suggests. The Atkins-like diet, which has shown promise for seizure control in children, may offer a new lifeline for patients when drugs and other treatments fail or cause complications.
