Praise to the forgotten blackcurrant

• THE humble Welsh-grown blackcurrant is set to steal the blueberry's crown as nature's greatest superfood.
• Once the staple ingredient of summer pudding, but ignored in the kitchen for years, the small dark fruit is enjoying a renaissance because of its high antioxidant content.
• But the fruit, used widely to flavour children's squash and fruit drinks, can also help to protect against flu, slow down the ageing process and keep the heart healthy.
• Jimmy McConnel, who has grown blackcurrants at Whitehouse Farm near Monmouth for 44 years, said, "The health benefits of blueberries have become well-known in the past few years, but the blackcurrant has almost disappeared from the consumer's consciousness.
• "It may be small but, according to dietitians, the Welsh blackcurrant is bursting with more health-promoting antioxidants than almost any other fruit or vegetable, including blueberries.
• The health-giving properties of blackcurrants are mainly due to the fruit's high source of anthocyanins - the dark colour of blackcurrants reflects its high anthocyanin content - which can guard against flu and cold sore viruses.
• "Blackcurrants are an excellent source of anthocyanins, important health-promoting antioxidants, known to help protect against ill-health, especially cancer and heart disease.
• "Eating blackcurrants or drinking blackcurrant juice as part of a healthy diet, is an easy, natural way to improve your antioxidant intake and maintain a healthy lifestyle."
• The antioxidants found in blackcurrants also play an important role in helping to slow down the ageing process - they may not increase lifespan, but they can increase the chances of living to the maximum lifespan.
• And rats which were fed with berries rich in antioxidants showed improvements in their short-term memory and improvements in their balance, co-ordination and running speed.