Those not keen on rum might prefer to try a vodka-based strawberry martini. Even the humble trifle could be healthier than we realised.
Blueberries - the only other fruit looked at by the US and Thai researchers - also became better for us on treatment with alcohol. It is likely many other fruits would be affected in the same way.
Produced naturally in the body, free-radicals are harmful molecules which damage cells. Anti-oxidants, including some vitamins, and plant chemicals, minimise damage by mopping up the free-radicals.
The research, published in the Journal of Science and Food Agriculture, showed that treating strawberries with alcohol boosts their natural anti-oxidant capacity by around a third.
Strawberries are also rich in cholesterol-lowering fibre, potassium, which aids digestion, folic acid, which wards off heart disease, and vitamin B6, which plays a vital role in keeping our immune and nervous systems health.
The health benefits of strawberries were recognised hundreds of years ago, with the Romans believing the berries eased ills from melancholy to liver disease.
Once a quintessentially summer treat, changing farming practises and climate mean the British strawberry is on sale earlier and earlier.
This year, home-grown fruits arrived on supermarket shelves in the first days of March - a full month earlier than the previous year's crop.
The increasing use of glasshouses and polytunnels mean British berries are likely to be available until the end of December.
How to Make the Perfect Strawberry Daiquiri
Ingredients
1/2 oz strawberry schnapps 1 oz light rum 1 oz lime juice 1 teaspoon sugar handful of strawberries
Method
Blend all ingredients with crushed ice and pour into a chilled glass.
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