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.