Now that's what I call research!

Study finds fruity cocktails count as health food

Reuters - Friday, April 20

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A fruity cocktail may not only be fun to drink but may count as health food, U.S. and Thai researchers said on Thursday.

Adding ethanol -- the type of alcohol found in rum, vodka, tequila and other spirits -- boosted the antioxidant nutrients in strawberries and blackberries, the researchers found.

Any coloured fruit might be made even more healthful with the addition of a splash of alcohol, they report in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture.

Dr. Korakot Chanjirakul and colleagues at Kasetsart University in Thailand and scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture stumbled upon their finding unexpectedly.

They were exploring ways to help keep strawberries fresh during storage. Treating the berries with alcohol increased in antioxidant capacity and free radical scavenging activity, they found.

Any coloured fruit or vegetable is rich in antioxidants, which are chemicals that can cancel out the cell-damaging effects of compounds called free radicals.

Berries, for instance, contain compounds known as polyphenols and anthocyanins. People who eat more of these fruits and vegetables have a documented lower risk of cancer, heart disease and some neurological diseases.

The study did not address whether adding a little cocktail umbrella enhanced the effects.

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You know what this means? Yep, I am one healthy cocktail sipper. Muddle me another caipiroska, would you Darling?

1 oz vodka
1 oz fruity liquor (e.g. lychee)
half a lime, cut into wedges
1 oz sugar syrup (or 1 tsp sugar)
about 1/4 cup of fruit (e.g. lychee)

Muddle all ingredients together, shake with crushed ice and pour into a tumbler (including the ice). Serve with an umbrella, the sharp end of which is handy for picking out bits of fruit.