Health benefits of raspberries

Raspberries are a popular berry with a rich color and sweet juicy taste. They are a good source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

Raspberries can range in color from the popular red and black varieties to purple, yellow, or golden. Each color of berry has a unique composition of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

In this article, we look at the health benefits of the red raspberry. We provide a nutritional breakdown, discuss ways to incorporate raspberries into the diet, and explain the possible health risks.

Benefits

Raspberries are a good source of antioxidants.
The antioxidant content of plant foods, such as raspberries, may help prevent a range of health conditions.

Vitamins C and E, selenium, beta carotene, lutein, lycopene, and zeaxanthin are all examples of antioxidants, and they are all present in raspberries.

Raspberries also contain plant chemicals called flavonoids, which have antioxidant effects.

Antioxidants help the body eliminate toxic substances known as free radicals. The body produces some of these substances during metabolic processes, but others result from external factors, such as unhealthful foods and pollution. Unhealthful foods include processed foods and those high in fat and sugar.

If too many free radicals remain in the body, they can cause cell damage, resulting in a range of health problems.

Raspberries are also a good source of fiber. One cup of raspberries contains 8 grams (g) of fiber. Current guidelines recommend that adults aged 19 years and over should consume between 22.4 g and 33.6 g of fiber a day, depending on their age and sex.

Heart health
Research has shown that one group of flavonoids, in particular — anthocyanins — can suppress inflammation that may lead to cardiovascular disease. Anthocyanins are also present in raspberries.

Various antioxidants may reduce a person's risk of cardiovascular disease by preventing platelet buildup and lowering blood pressure using anti-inflammatory mechanisms.

The American Heart Association encourage most people to increase their potassium intake and reduce the amount of sodium in their diet. These dietary adjustments can help prevent high blood pressure, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

One cup of raspberries contains 186 milligrams (mg) of potassium. The AHA recommend consuming around 4,700 mg of potassium each day.

The fiber in raspberries can also help manage or prevent:

• blood pressure
• cholesterol levels
• obesity
• heart disease
• stroke

Cancer prevention
The National Cancer Institute note that antioxidants from dietary sources may help protect the body from lung, esophageal, gastric, and other types of cancer.

In 2010, scientists treated stomach, colon, and breast cancer cells with an extract of Meeker red raspberries. The extract killed more than 90% of the cells. The researchers estimated that antioxidants were responsible for about half of the destruction of breast cancer cells.

Diabetes management
The antioxidants in berries may help prevent inflammation, which could be a risk factor for type 2 diabetes.

The authors of a 2018 review concluded that dietary fiber might lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and improve symptoms in people who already have this condition.

Raspberries are naturally sweet, and people do not usually need to add sugar to them. Their sweetness makes them a useful addition to the diet when a person is seeking to manage diabetes or excess weight. However, they do contain some natural sugar. People with diabetes should take this into account.

Digestion
The fiber and water content in raspberries can help prevent constipation and maintain a healthy digestive tract. Adequate fiber promotes the regularity of bowel movements, which is crucial for the daily excretion of toxins.

Increased fiber intake may also help with:

• managing blood pressure
• reducing cholesterol levels
• supporting weight loss

Eye health
Raspberries contain the antioxidant zeaxanthin, which filters out harmful blue light rays.

It may play a role in protecting the eyes from problems such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a condition that causes vision problems in older people.

Other benefits
The vitamin C in raspberries can support skin and joint health.
Raspberries contain other key nutrients, including:

Vitamin C: This vitamin is important for making collagen, which the body needs to keep the skin and joints healthy.

Folate: Folate is necessary for proper cell division. During pregnancy, doctors prescribe it to encourage the healthy growth of the unborn child.

Vitamin K: The body needs this vitamin for proper blood clotting.

Nutrition
A 123 g cup of raspberries contains the following nutrients:

• Water: 105.0 g
• Energy 64 calories
• Protein: 1.5 g
• Carbohydrate: 14.7 g, of which 5.4 g is sugar
• Fiber: 8.0 g
• Calcium: 30.8 mg
• Magnesium: 27.1 mg
• Iron: 0.8 mg
• Phosphorus: 35.7 mg
• Potassium: 186.0 mg
• Zinc: 0.5 mg
• Copper 0.1 mg
• Manganese: 0.8 mg
• Selenium: 0.2 micrograms (mcg)
• Vitamin C: 32.2 mg
• Folate: 25.8 mcg
• Choline: 15.1 mg
• Vitamin E: 1.1 mg
• Vitamin K: 9.6 mcg
• Lutein + zeaxanthin: 167.0 mcg
• Alpha carotene: 19.7 mcg
• Beta carotene: 14.8 mcg

Current guidelines recommend that women and men consume 75 mg and 90 mg, respectively, of vitamin C each day.

Therefore, a cup of raspberries can provide more than one-third of the daily requirement for vitamin C. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding will require a higher intake.

Vitamins C and E, alpha and beta carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, choline, and selenium are just some of the antioxidants that raspberries contain.