Having fruit in alcoholic drinks such as cocktails can make fruit "healthier", according to a recent study.

Researchers found out that alcohol boots the antioxidant properties in fruit which help to protect against heart disease, cancer and arthritis. Strawberries ability to stop cancer causing the molecules, called free radicals increased by a third when they were mixed with alcohol.

The startling fact was found out during a study by the Kasetsart University in Thailand and the US department of Agriculture research, which was trying to find out how to preserve fruit for longer. Blackberries anti-toxicant properties were also found to benefit from being mixed with booze.

People in the UK are already buying more berries because of the anti toxins they contain. Sales of strawberries in the UK have already risen 34 per cent in the last two years.

The most popular cocktail including strawberries is daiquiri which is a mixture of lime, strawberry liqueur and rum.

However Dr Frankie Phillips of the British Dietetic Association warned: "Any potential antioxidant benefits may be cancelled out by the potential liver damage caused by too much alcohol".