In June, Paige, one of my kindergardeners, gave me a raspberry plant from her garden. She wanted me to have it so that when I "missed her", I could just go out and eat a raspberry. Wasn't I surprised this last week when I came home from Washington, DC...my little plant has really grown and is producing the most delicious mouth-watering fruit. I think all the rain we have had this summer has really helped this plant flourish. It's so much fun working out in the garden pulling weeds or cutting back the irises because, when I'm hankering for a little snack, I just wander over to the bush and pick a few ripe, red raspberries.
I decided to google "raspberries" to find out their nutrient value and found this article in the world's healthiest foods.
Raspberries
Fragrantly sweet with a subtly tart overtone and almost-melt-in-your-mouth texture, raspberries are wonderfully delicious and are usually in limited supply. Most cultivated varieties of raspberries are grown in California from June through October.
A member of the rose family and a bramble fruit like the blackberry, raspberries are delicately structured with a hollow core. Raspberries are known as "aggregate fruits" since they are a compendium of smaller seed-containing fruits, called drupelets, that are arranged around a hollow central cavity.
This chart graphically details the %DV that a serving of Raspberries provides for each of the nutrients of which it is a good, very good, or excellent source according to our Food Rating System. Additional information about the amount of these nutrients provided by Raspberries can be found in the Food Rating System Chart.
The article is very comprehensive and explains all the health benefits of this wonderful red berry.
Red raspberry is most often the source of a dietary supplement sold in many health food stores called ellagic acid. This substance found naturally in raspberries belongs to the family of phytonutrients called tannins, and it is viewed as being responsible for a good portion of the antioxidant activity of this (and other) berries.
Phytonutrients for Antioxidant, Antimicrobial and Anticarcinogenic Protection
As an antioxidant food containing ellagic acid, raspberries help prevent unwanted damage to cell membranes and other structures in the body by neutralizing free radicals. Ellagic acid is not the only well-researched phytonutrient component of raspberry, however. Raspberry's flavonoid content is also well documented. Here the key substances are quercetin, kaempferol, and the cyanidin-based molecules called cyanidin-3-glucosylrutinoside and cyanidin-3-rutinoside. These flavonoid molecules are also classified as anthocyanins, and they belong to the group of substances that give raspberries their rich red color. Raspberries' anthocyanins also give these delectable berries unique antioxidant properties, as well as some antimicrobial ones, including the ability to prevent overgrowth of certain bacteria and fungi in the body (for example, the yeast Candida albicans, which is a frequent culprit in vaginal infections and can be a contributing cause in irritable bowel syndrome).
Additionally, research is suggesting that raspberries may have cancer protective properties. Research with animals has suggested that raspberries have have the potential to inhibit cancer cell proliferation and tumor formation in various parts of the body, including the colon.
Antioxidants Unique to Raspberries Provide Powerful Protection
Raspberries possess almost 50% higher antioxidant activity than strawberries, three times that of kiwis, and ten times the antioxidant activity of tomatoes, shows research conducted in the Netherlands and published in the journal BioFactors.
The biggest contribution to raspberries' antioxidant capacity is their ellagitannins, a family of compounds almost exclusive to the raspberry, which are reported to have anti-cancer activity. Vitamin C contributes about 20% of the total antioxidant capacity, accounting for up to 30 milligrams in 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of fruit. Raspberries anthocyanins, especially cyanidin and pelagonidin glycosides, make up another 25%. And more good news: freezing and storing raspberries does not significantly affect their antioxidant activity, although in this study, their concentration of vitamin C was halved by the freezing process.
Plus Vitamin and Mineral Antioxidants
In addition to their unique phytonutrient content, raspberries are filled with traditional nutrients, primarily in the antioxidant and B vitamin categories. Raspberries emerged from our nutrient ranking system as an excellent source of manganese and vitamin C, two critical antioxidant nutrients that help protect the body's tissue from oxygen-related damage. They also qualified as a good source of riboflavin, folate, niacin, magnesium, potassium and copper. Coupled with this strong B vitamin and mineral content, raspberries qualified as "excellent" in terms of dietary fiber. This combination of nutrients makes raspberries a great fruit choice for having minimal impact on blood sugars.
Promote Optimal Health
Research published in Cancer Letters provides one reason why diets high in fruit help prevent cancer: raspberries, blackberries and muscadine grapes inhibit metalloproteinase enzymes. Although essential for the development and remodeling of tissues, if produced in abnormally high amounts, these enzymes play a significant role in cancer development by providing a mechanism for its invasion and spread.Protection against Macular Degeneration
Your mother may have told you carrots would keep your eyes bright as a child, but as an adult, it looks like fruit is even more important for keeping your sight. Data reported in a study published in the Archives of Ophthalmology indicates that eating 3 or more servings of fruit per day may lower your risk of age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), the primary cause of vision loss in older adults, by 36%, compared to persons who consume less than 1.5 servings of fruit daily.
In this study, which involved over 110,000 women and men, researchers evaluated the effect of study participants' consumption of fruits; vegetables; the antioxidant vitamins A, C, and E; and carotenoids on the development of early ARMD or neovascular ARMD, a more severe form of the illness associated with vision loss. While, surprisingly, intakes of vegetables, antioxidant vitamins and carotenoids were not strongly related to incidence of either form of ARMD, fruit intake was definitely protective against the severe form of this vision-destroying disease. Three servings of fruit may sound like a lot to eat each day, but raspberries can help you reach this goal. Top your morning cereal or lunch time yogurt or cottage cheese with fresh raspberries. Transform the taste and presentation of any green salad with a handful of raspberries and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Blend frozen raspberries with a spoonful of honey and some vanilla soy milk, freeze for 20 minutes, then spoon into serving cups and decorate with a sprig of mint for an elegant, healthy treat.
With all these health benefits, it would seem everyone should grow raspberries in their garden or in container pots on a patio.
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Comments: 78
That was very sweet of your students would think of something like that.
We always had raspberry plants in the garden, when I was growing up. The best part was the wild raspberries though.
I brought home blackberries from the store yesterday, and Roshane soon began remembering picking raspberries on my dad's farm, when we were looking for dragons in the woods.
Hey, how's Emmett. I don't think I told you but I do love that name...Irish it is. When I hear it I think of one of the heroes of "Bloody Sunday Massacre", 1919 in Ireland.
That was really cool of your student to give you the plant. That's certainly a gift that will keep on giving!
You have made my mouth water. I am tempted to run to the store and buy some raspberries, but I need to finish the cherries, blueberries, mangoes, and watermelon in my refrigerator first! Fresh fruit is one of the best things about summer!
What is diverticulitis?
Diverticulitis happens when pouches (diverticula) form in the wall of the colon and then get inflamed or infected.
What causes diverticulitis?
Doctors aren't sure what causes diverticulitis. But they think that a low-fiber diet may play a role. Without fiber to add bulk to the stool, the colon has to work harder than normal to push the stool forward. The pressure from this may cause pouches to form in weak spots along the colon.
Diverticulitis happens when bacteria get trapped in the pouches. This can lead to inflammation or infection.
My fiances has diverticulitis at times. We have developed a good routine of ending each day with a small bowl of apple sauce and ground flax seed. The flax seed is extremely good for people with intestinal issues. When he has the first sign of a flare-up, he takes a herbal concoction I learned about and it seems to stop the problem. How often do you get flare ups? Can you eat tomatoes or do you have to remove the seeds?
I haven't had much luck with getting them to grow here... they are Ross' favourite, so I have tried. Don't know why, since there are some that grow wild along our trail.
we had a raspberry bush in our yard many years ago. a bad michigan winter did it in. :(
Featured in the Triple Name Club.
I found several volunteers in my backyard, presents from generous birds who dropped the seeds. I am tempted to let them flourish but my husband hates having to fight through the thicket they form... they are a menace to the tires of his mowers and trucks.
I can buy strawberries without thinking of whipped cream, or shortbread, or ANYthing else. But somehow, raspberries make me want to INDULGE. I don't think this is what the authors of the Health Benefits of Raspberries article have in mind...
But I don't want to give up the notion of your original title "Eating Raspberries May Prolong Your Life". I was just planning a shopping spree to prolong my life. In fact, I am quite sure I will never be able to think of raspberries again without being reassured (by you) that eating them is really the BEST thing I could possibly do.
Your photos, by the way, are making my mouth water. I am just trying NOT to think about whipping cream...
I have one and I'm hoping it will produce soon, I'd love to have some of the wild black raspberries that grow in the area. I found some last year, not sure if they'll make it though.
Raspberry leaf tea is excellent and beneficial to your health.