A study conducted at Cornell University in the US has found that wild blueberries contain higher levels of antioxidants than fruits such as apples, bananas, red grapes and strawberries.

Researchers at the university tested 25 different fruits for levels of cellular antioxidant activity (CAA), with blackberries, cranberries, raspberries and pomegranates also demonstrating high antioxidant levels, according to the report published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Of the fruits tested, melons and bananas displayed the least antioxidant activity, with cultivated blueberries showing less activity than their wild counterparts.

The CAA system is used to determine how antioxidant compounds perform in cells, with human liver cells used in this particular study.

'While further testing is needed to confirm how dietary antioxidants are absorbed by and go to work in the human body to prevent cancer and other chronic diseases, we're encouraged by the response of this initial screening measure,' said lead scientist Rai Hai Liu.

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