December 8, 2009

Health Benefits of Raspberries

Posted in Category : Foods that Heal

Sweet-scented with a subtly tangy overtone and a nearly-dissolve-in-your-mouth character, raspberries are extremely delectable and are normally in restricted supply. Most domesticated categories of raspberries are grown in Southwest America from June through October. Red raspberries are often the source of a supplement — added to complete a diet or to make up for a dietary deficiency sold in most health food stores known as ellagic acid. This particular acid is found naturally in raspberries and is part of the family of phytonutrients known as tannins. Raspberries are also believed to have an abundant supply of fiber, manganese and vitamin C. They contain good quantities of vitamin B2 that prevents skin lesions and weight loss, folic acid, nicotinic acid, essential for the normal function of the nervous system and the gastrointestinal tract; magnesium, potassium and copper. Ellagic acid is an anti-malignant phytochemical, essential for fighting cancers.

Since raspberries contain ellagic acid, it helps in preventing undesirable impairment to cell tissue layers and other bodily structures by knocking off free radicals. Apart from ellagic acid, the flavonoids content of raspberries categorized as anthocyanins is what gives raspberries its crimson color. Raspberries’ red coloring matter possesses incomparable antioxidant attributes, as well as some antimicrobial properties, including the power to prevent the rapid growth of harmful bacteria and yeast in the body, for instance, the yeast Candida albicans, a parasitic fungus that can infect the mouth or the skin or the intestines or the vagina.

Further more, systematic medical investigation suggests that raspberries may possess cancer defensive characteristics. Research with animals has suggested that raspberries have the potential to suppress and subdue cancer cell multiplication and tumor development in various parts of the body, including the colorectal region. Raspberries are considered to offer approximately 50 percent higher antioxidant capacity than their counter parts such as strawberries, four times that of kiwi fruits, and nine times the antioxidant capability of tomato plant, according to research studies conducted in medical universities.

The largest contribution to raspberries’ inhibitory activity is ellagitannins, a category of chemical compound almost privileged to the raspberry, which are accounted to have anti-cancer capability. Apart from their unparalleled phytonutrient volume, raspberries are also replete with conventional nourishments, mainly in the antioxidant and B vitamin classes. Raspberries contain a splendid source of manganese and vitamin C, two vital nutrients useful in protecting the body’s tissue from oxygen-associated impairment. They also offer vitamin B2, folic acid, nicotinic acid, magnesium, potassium and copper.