Study: Strawberries Might Fight Cancer

Eating strawberries just might help fend off esophageal cancer, a very small study suggests. Only 36 people were in the study. All of them had precancerous growths in the esophagus. Researchers asked them to eat about 2 ounces of freeze-dried strawberries each day. They did this for 6 months. Afterward, researchers looked again at the precancerous cells in the esophagus. In 29 of the 36 patients, the cells looked more normal under a microscope. Researchers tried strawberries as a possible treatment because research in rats suggested it might work. They used freeze-dried berries because they have concentrated levels of antioxidants, which are thought to fight cancer. The strawberry study was presented at a conference. ABC and CBS News both aired reports on it April 6.