Australian Stonefruit Grower Magazine Issue 2 August 2016 | Page 26

Feature

Plum benefits
The royal flush: How Queen Garnet burst onto the Australian fruit scene
By Jack Rozycki

T

he unprecedented consumer demand for Queen

by the body’s compounds, weakening them and making

Garnet, a plum variety developed by two Queensland

them reactive – prone to attracting unwanted electrons

Government agricultural scientists, has its genesis in

from elsewhere. Such unbalanced and highly reactive

recent scientific research into ageing and wellbeing, which

molecules are called free radicals. This has serious

suggests that this group of flavonoids called polyphenol

ramifications for health. For example, in cardiovascular

phytochemicals may help in dealing with cardiovascular

disease the sides of coronary arteries become clogged with

disease, decline in brain function and various cancers.

plaque because blood platelets affected by free radicals

Anthocyanins are thought to play a role in the prevention
of such diseases with their antioxidant properties.

arteries. This narrows the arteries to the point of being

Every day, the human body’s cells are assailed by

blocked, eventually causing a heart attack, where parts

oxidation due to various environmental factors such as

of the heart muscle die because they are denied oxygen

pollution, ageing and the effects of smoking tobacco,

carried in the blood flow.

among many others. Oxidation involves a loss of electrons
26

become “sticky” and begin to adhere to the walls of the

Australian Stonefruit Grower | august 2016

continued on page 14
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