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New research from the US has suggested a powerful link between eating dark fruits and lowering cancer risk. Scientists say that the compounds which are said to give dark fruits such as blueberries their colour may be able to fight cancer. The compounds, known as anthocyanins, are responsible for the colour in red, blue, and purple fruits, and results have shown that they slow the development of cancer cells.

The results of the research, which was carried out at Ohio State University and presented at a meeting of the American Chemical Society, showed the remarkable effects of dark exotic fruits such as chokeberries. These fruits were not only seen to slow cancer development but even kill cancer cells whilst leaving healthy cells in tact. The health benefits of fruits such as blueberries was already known, but finally scientists are finding out what it is that makes these fruits so good for us. As Monica Giusti, head of research explains:

“These foods contain many compounds, and we’re just starting to figure out what they are and which ones provide the most health benefits”

The possibilities for medical progress are endless, and it is obvious there is a long way to go before results are more established and the benefits of different dark fruits can be compared. For now, readers will be pleased to know that it is not necessary to go hunting for obscure purplecorns and bilberries (two fruits which were found to be very potent in the fight against cancer) - indeed, blueberries are well-known to have the same effect and are widely available.

This entry was posted on Monday, August 20th, 2007 at 8:03 pm and is filed under Science, Health. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.