Currants have been shown to possess multiple benefic effects, ranging from antioxidant activities to protection against Helicobacter pylori infection. A study conducted by Dejan Gođevac and colleagues, University of Belgrade, Serbia, identified additional cytoprotective properties.

The team examined six cultivars of red, white, and black currant seed extracts and demonstrated that the latter possess the highest ability to protect human peripheral lymphocytes from chromosome aberration and DNA damage. These effects are most likely attributed to the high amount of flavonoids, such as rutin, isoquercetin and taxifolin, contained in black currants. While rich in flavonoids, these extracts were poor in sesquiterpenoid and carboxymethylindol glycosides, present mostly in red and white currant seeds. Phenolic acids, instead, were common to all cultivars analyzed.

• Chemical composition of currant seed extracts and their protective effect on human lymphocytes DNA,
  D. Gođevac, V. Tešević, V. Vajs, S. Milosavljević, G. Zdunić, B. Orđević, M. Stanković,
  J. Food Sci. 2012.
  DOI: 10.1111/j.1750-3841.2012.02756.x