Scientists at the Sheffield Hallam University, after extensive research, have revealed that when baked for a total of 20 minutes, Rhubarb manages to release high levels of polyphenols, chemicals which are potentially cancer-killing.

For many centuries now, Rhubarb has been used in Chinese medicine, and the ground roots of the plant reportedly help in shrinking of tumors.

"Our research has shown that British rhubarb is a potential source of pharmacological agents that may be used to develop new anti-cancer drugs", said Dr. Nikki Jordan-Mahy, of the university’s Biomedical Research Centre.

For the sake of study, researchers employed the use of Rhubarb which had been grown indoors in candlelight, in order to produce a dark, red stem, as it is potentially higher in polyphenols than paler varieties. The research was carried out to determine if the plant's chemical could actually kill a variety of cancer cells taken from leukemia patients.

Details of the study have been published in the journal Food Chemistry.