The Daily Telegraph today said that rhubarb crumble is the "new cancer-busting superfood".

This news story was based on research to determine how cooking rhubarb would affect the amount of antioxidant chemicals it contains. Some scientists believe that antioxidants offer protection from diseases such as cancer, although it should be noted that this research did not directly look at any aspect of human health. It will take further research to assess how cooking affects the breakdown of these antioxidant chemicals and how this may affect any health benefits from the food.

  Where did the story come from?

This research was carried out by Dr Gordon McDougall and colleagues from Sheffield Hallam University and the Scottish Crop Research Institute in Dundee. The study was funded by Sheffield Hallam University's Food Innovation Project. It was published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Food Chemistry.

This research was inaccurately reported on by The Daily Telegraph. The published research did not investigate the effect of rhubarb extracts (or polyphenols) on cancer cells or human health in general. This study only looked at how the concentrations of these chemicals in rhubarb were affected by different cooking methods.