Scientists and nutritionists from around the world are on the Gold Coast this week to discuss the health merits of fruits like bananas, mangoes and lychees.  Dr Roger Stanley, from the Queensland Department of Primary Industries, says tropical fruits have plenty of endearing qualities.

Fruits are conventionally very high in sugar that's what attracts us to them, but it is seen that some of the data shows that fruit is very good of fighting the effects of obesity and Type 2 diabetes," he says.

It's thought that they have these underlying compounds which decrease the inflammations which then prevent the insulin resistance, and there are probably several other mechanisms there as well."