Raspberries, a type of berry with various colors including red, yellow, and purple, are known for their sweet and delicious flavor as well as their powerful health benefits.
According to studies published in journals such as the Journal of Food Science and Technology and the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, raspberries, particularly due to their anthocyanins, which give them their rich purple color, act as natural antioxidants, prevent oxidative stress and offer a range of health benefits.
Antioxidants have been shown to prevent cancer, heart disease, and age-related decline.
Here are the six major health benefits of raspberries based on various scientific findings:
1. Preventing Oral Cancer
Raspberries have been found to prevent the progression of common oral squamous cell carcinomas found in the mouth, throat, and esophagus.
In a study published in Cancer Prevention Research in 2020, mice exposed to tobacco smoke toxins and fed a diet supplemented with 5% raspberries showed significantly reduced levels of DNA damage in their oral cavity, leading to a decrease in oral tumor incidence from 70% to 46.7%.
In another study on oral cancer induced by carcinogens in hamster cheek pouches, a solution made from freeze-dried raspberry powder was used for local treatment for 12 weeks, resulting in a 41% reduction in cancer cell proliferation, a 37% reduction in tumor size, and nearly 7% decrease in cell proliferation rate, demonstrating the potential of raspberry treatment for preventing oral cancer in humans.
2. Preventing Diabetes
In a 2016 study published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology, Korean researchers conducted a 12-week trial involving 45 prediabetic patients who were given either a placebo or raspberry extract orally.
The raspberry group was further divided into low-dose (900 mg/day) and high-dose (1,800 mg/day) groups. The results showed dose-dependent improvements in blood sugar and lipid control in the raspberry group, along with reduced vascular inflammation.
Similarly, a study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition in the same year found that the risk of type 2 diabetes decreased by 15% and 18% with the consumption of raspberry anthocyanins and berries, respectively. This aligns with the results of a meta-analysis of 23 studies published in the Diabetes Research Journal.
3. Lowering Blood Pressure
Raspberries have also shown significant effects in lowering blood pressure.
In a study published in Nutrition in 2015, Korean researchers administered raspberry capsules in powdered form to 45 prehypertensive patients and a placebo for 8 weeks. The results showed a significant reduction in systolic blood pressure (commonly known as high pressure) in the raspberry treatment group.
4. Reducing Obesity
Raspberries have considerable advantages in weight loss as well.
In a study published in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine in 2016, conducted on obese mice induced by a high-fat diet for eight weeks, feeding them raspberry-enriched food at doses of 10 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg per day resulted in dose-dependent reductions in body weight, food efficiency ratio, adipose tissue weight, serum glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride, and low-density lipoprotein.
5. Inhibiting Osteoporosis
Prostate patients are at increased risk of bone loss, which can lead to osteoporosis. According to a study published earlier in Aging Male, administering raspberry extract to rats in a model of prostate disease effectively inhibited osteoporosis by altering the activation of osteoblasts and osteoclasts.
6. Suppressing Skin Allergies
Using a mouse model of induced contact dermatitis, researchers added raspberries or their anthocyanin components to their food.
The results showed significant improvements in symptoms such as swelling, rash, redness, itching, and skin lesions caused by skin inflammation. Furthermore, these fruit-based supplements may be safer than currently widely used steroid dermatitis treatments. This study was published in the Journal of Nutrition in June 2020.
These findings underscore raspberries as a functional food with potential therapeutic effects across various health conditions.
