Scottish researchers believe they may have discovered how to boost strawberries' existing health qualities in a way that may bring fresh benefits for diabetics and slimmers.
The discovery has come at the flick of a light switch: research carried out at the James Hutton Institute near Dundee had set out to explore how shining certain LED lights on strawberries might produce better fruits and boost farmers' crops.
But they were surprised by the extent of the findings, that showed that not only did the light therapy produce sweeter tasting berries, it also turbo-charged existing digestive benefits that help limit calorific assimilation - raising hopes they might become a weapon in the battle against diabetes and obesity.
The researchers found using particular light-emitting diodes (LED) in the red, far-red and blue regions of the spectrum ignited even more positive chemical reactions in the plants. As well as boosting fruit yield, the LED lights produced berries with significantly enhanced antioxidants and antioxidant activity, plus higher levels of vitamin C.
Read more at the Herald