Growers and Grocers

The BBC delivers one of those stories that everyone wants to read because it makes that glass of champagne seem good for you. The BBC reports that “Strawberries are good for you but having them in a cocktail may make them even healthier, a study suggests.” Although, they are quick to rain on our parade by quoting Dr. Frankie Phillips of the British Dietetic Association, who says: “Don’t expect a panacea in the form of a strawberry daiquiri.” Darn.

As if people needed another reason to eat strawberries, the study found that they contain compounds that fight cancer, heart disease and arthritis. If you drop a strawberry in a cocktail or any alcoholic drink, these antioxidant properties increase. The same increase occurred with blackberries.

Dr Phillips also noted that similar effects occur when other fruits and vegetables are prepared in a certain way: “For example, cooking tomatoes or stir frying pepper facilitates availability of the lycopene and beta-carotene they contain.”

Photo from morgueFile.