Red Raspberry

Red Raspberry 

Rubus idaeus
Rosaceae
NORTHWESTERN
UNITED STATES

Nutrient Content: high in prebiotic fiber, antioxidant vitamin C, dietary mi minerals, omega-3 fats (in edible seeds) Phytochemical Content: high in polyphenols (ellagic acid, tannins, Phyto quercetin, anthocyanins) 

Delicate in both structure and taste, the red raspberry is a storehouse of nutrients packed in a unique, tasty, exotic form  as a beautiful garnish for desserts and snacks. Closely related to its superfruit cousins, the blackberry and black raspberry, red raspberry is a Rubus member of the rose family, Rosaceae. This group of fruits is characterized by its many individual drupelets, each like a small berry with one seed. The dozens of individual drupelets in one Rubus berry contribute extra skin, seeds, and pectin, which result in high dietary fiber and micronutrient value. This design places the red raspberry among the highest fiber-content plant foods known. The red raspberry is approximately 20 percent fiber by total weight!

Red raspberries are one of the plant world’s richest sources of vitamins C and K, the essential mineral manganese, and dietary fiber. Contents of vitamin A (from seed carotenoids), B vitamins 1 through 3 (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, respectively), iron, calcium, and potassium are also at good levels. Preliminary studies have shown evidence of red raspberry effects against intestinal pathogens and inflammatory mechanisms. These properties have been ascribed to the anthocyanin content, particularly the numerous cyanidin glycosides and ellagitannins, which are strongly linked to inhibiting mechanisms that initiate inflammation. Red raspberries are good for more than just eating, though. Oil extracted from red raspberry seeds is popular as a skin moisturizer high in vitamins C and E, alpha-linolenic acid (omega-3 fatty acid), and linoleic acid (omega-6 fatty acid), with potent sun-blocking and healing properties.

Research Behind Red Raspberries
Red raspberries contain dense contents of ellagic acid, ellagitannins, and several other polyphenols under active research for potential health benefits as anti-inflammatory factors. These phenolic compounds have importance in research on diseases that start first with inflammation, such as cancer, chronic arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, and obesity. In research done at Cornell University, scientists studying four cultivars of red raspberry identified differences in polyphenol content that were directly related to the color intensity of the respective juices. The color of the juice correlated well to the anthocyanin contents of each raspberry cultivar. In the same studies, proliferation of human liver cancer cells—as part of a laboratory test of potential anticancer activity— was significantly suppressed by the raspberry polyphenols.

Although there are no clinical studies to date proving these effects in humans, medical research shows that regularly consuming raspberries imparts a likely benefit against inflammation, pain, cancer onset mechanisms, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, allergies, age-related cognitive decline, and degeneration of eyesight with aging. The research star is the black raspberry (either of two distinct, closely related species called Rubus occidentalis and Rubus leucodermis), which is at the forefront of clinical trials testing berries for anticancer activity. Oral, esophageal (throat), and colon cancer trials are in process by Dr. Gary Stoner and fellow scientists at Ohio State University. In rat studies reported early in 2009, Dr. Stoner’s group announced that extracts from the black raspberry could alter the activity of as many as thirty-six genes of the esophagus (the smooth muscle tube for swallowing); twenty-four were switched to a higher state, called “upregulated,” and twelve were “downregulated.” Among the upregulated genes were those associated with cell structure, cell-to cell signaling, metabolism, and intriguingly contraction capability of the esophageal smooth muscle cells.

Get Red Raspberries into Your Diet!
Nutritious red raspberries are ideal both as an addition to many types of recipes and as a healthy fresh snack by the handful. The often-mentioned blackcap the black raspberry is cultivated in the northwestern United States but not on the same commercial scale as the red raspberry. Because its products have fewer consumer applications, it does not have the same popular following for fresh uses, mainly on account of its higher astringency, somewhat bitter taste, and limited supply. Red raspberries do not have to be fresh to be nutritious; quick-frozen and canned raspberries retain most of the nutrient qualities of fresh fruit. Consumers will sometimes see quick-frozen products labeled either “flash frozen” or “IQF” (immediately and individually quick frozen). Raspberry leaves are also valuable, as they contain many of the fruit’s nutrients as well. Red raspberry leaves are popular in tea blends, providing a complementary delicate flavor and source of tannins that add tartness and possible antioxidant value to the beverage. Just ten raspberries equal one fruit serving.