Why baked Yorkshire rhubarb could help fight against cancer

Researchers at Sheffield Hallam University found baking British garden rhubarb for 20 minutes dramatically increased its levels of anti-cancerous chemicals – particularly in a variety grown in South Yorkshire.

The findings, published with the Scottish Crop Research Institute, showed the chemicals, called polyphenols, could kill or prevent the growth of cancer cells and could be used to develop less toxic treatments for the disease, even in cases where cancers had proved resistant to other treatments.

It is the first time the benefits of British garden rhubarb have been studied.

Previous research focused on Oriental medicinal rhubarb, which was recognised for its health benefits and used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years.

Academics now hope to discover the best combination of rhubarb's polyphenols and chemotherapy agents needed to kill leukaemia cells.

Dr Nikki Jordan-Mahy, of Sheffield Hallam University's biomedical research centre, said: "Our research has shown that British rhubarb is a potential source of pharmacological agents that may be used to develop new anti-cancerous drugs.

"Current treatments are not effective in all cancers and resistance is a common problem.

"Cancer affects one in three individuals in the UK so it's very important to discover novel, less toxic, treatments, which can overcome resistance."

The research was funded by the Centre for Food Innovation at Sheffield Hallam University.