Scientists have bred a new variety of strawberry and report it has twice as much of a phytochemical as commercial varieties. University of Queensland researchers have recently completed a study on several current commercial and trial varieties to evaluate and compare phytochemical content and antioxidant capacities. According to Kent Fanning of Agri-Science Queensland, the health benefits of fruit and vegetables are in part due to the presence of phytochemicals, which have been reported to have anti-cardiovascular disease, anti-obesity, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and anti-hypertensive properties.
