Strawberry daiquiris can 'help fight cancer'

Scientists have found that treating the berries with alcohol boosts their cancer-fighting properties - suggesting that strawberry-based cocktails may be better for us than we realised.

The researchers, who were looking for ways to keep the fruit fresh during storage, discovered that alcohol enhances the strawberry's ability to mop up harmful molecules linked to cancer, heart disease and arthritis.

Strawberries were already known to be good at tackling the dangerous free-radicals - but now it seems that adding a dash of alcohol into the mix makes them even better at fighting disease. Suitable cocktails could include the strawberry daiquiri.

Said to be one of the favourite drinks of Ernest Hemingway, the Cuban cocktail contains a blend of rum, lime or lemon juice, strawberry liqueur, sugar - and fresh strawberries.

Those not keen on rum might prefer to try a vodka-based strawberry martini. Even the humble trifle could be healthier than we realised.

Blueberries - the only other fruit looked at by the US and Thai researchers - also became better for us on treatment with alcohol. It is likely many other fruits would be affected in the same way.

Produced naturally in the body, free-radicals are harmful molecules which damage cells. Anti-oxidants, including some vitamins, and plant chemicals, minimise damage by mopping up the free-radicals.

The research, published in the Journal of Science and Food Agriculture, showed that treating strawberries with alcohol boosts their natural anti-oxidant capacity by around a third.

Strawberries are also rich in cholesterol-lowering fibre, potassium, which aids digestion, folic acid, which wards off heart disease, and vitamin B6, which plays a vital role in keeping our immune and nervous systems health.

The health benefits of strawberries were recognised hundreds of years ago, with the Romans believing the berries eased ills from melancholy to liver disease.

Once a quintessentially summer treat, changing farming practises and climate mean the British strawberry is on sale earlier and earlier.

This year, home-grown fruits arrived on supermarket shelves in the first days of March - a full month earlier than the previous year's crop.

The increasing use of glasshouses and polytunnels mean British berries are likely to be available until the end of December.

How to Make the Perfect Strawberry Daiquiri

Ingredients

1/2 oz strawberry schnapps 1 oz light rum 1 oz lime juice 1 teaspoon sugar handful of strawberries

Method

Blend all ingredients with crushed ice and pour into a chilled glass.