This summer, why not slather on some strawberries instead? A new study shows that the fruit could protect skin cells against the harmful effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
This opens the door to the creation of photoprotective cream made from strawberries, say the team of Italian and Spanish researchers behind the study published in the .
The protective powers are thought to come from anthocyanins, the pigment that gives the fruit its red colour. "These compounds have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-tumour properties and are capable of modulating enzymatic processes," says one of the study authors, Dr Sara Tulipani of the University of Barcelona.
Scientists added strawberry extract to human skin cell cultures (fibroblasts), which were then exposed to UV light - a dose "equivalent to 90 minutes of midday summer sun on the French Riviera", says lead author Maurizio Battino.
Strawberry extract displayed photoprotective properties in the fibroblasts, increased cell survival and viability, and decreased damage in the DNA when compared with control cells that had no added strawberry extract.
But these are not the only benefits of strawberries. Other recent research has revealed that:
