Raving about radical raspberries

Are you enjoying the fruity columns? Would you like a few more here in spring?

Nature provides so many needed nutrients in relatively tiny, little berries. This week, I want to talk about raspberries. Rich in vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber, raspberries are a delicious fruit with many health benefits.

Raspberries are a red fruit very similar to blackberries and are from the rose family, just like the strawberry. They grow on tall, prickly canes and are made of several drupelets. Unlike the blackberry, the stem comes completely out of the fruit leaving a hole in the center.

Raspberries are packed with cancer-fighting antioxidants. They have one of the highest concentrations of antioxidants of any fruit on earth, almost 10x as much as tomatoes. Raspberries also contain ellagic acid, a natural phenol antioxidant found in fruits and veggies. Studies have revealed raspberry phytonutrients have an important role in lowering oxidative stress, reducing inflammation, and thereby altering the development or reproduction of cancer cells.

This fruit is high in dietary fiber and manganese. Fiber aids in slowing down the digestive process, making you feel fuller for longer. The trace mineral manganese keeps your metabolic rate high, and thereby burns fat. If you are looking for a delicious and effective way to lose weight, raspberries can be a great natural option.

As mentioned earlier, raspberries are an excellent antioxidant-laden food that contains ellagic acid. They efficiently stop undesirable damage to cell membranes by neutralizing free radicals. Ellagic acid is a phytonutrient component of raspberries with key substances like kaempferol, quercetin, and the cyanidin-based molecules called cyanidin-3-rutinoside and cyanidin-3-glucosyl-rutinoside.

These molecules are again broken into anthocyanins, which give raspberries their rich, red color. The anthocyanins of raspberries are responsible for their unique antioxidant properties and also some antimicrobial ones. This promptly cuts down the overgrowth of certain bacteria and fungi in the body. These growths often lead to different vaginal infections and sometimes even result in irritable bowel syndrome.

They are generally good for all, especially pregnant women and lactating mothers. Raspberry leaves can be used as herbal teas for women. The tea can regulate menstrual cycles and decrease excessively heavy menstrual flows. For pregnant women, raspberry tea successfully relieves nausea, prevents hemorrhaging, reduces pain, and helps in childbirth. For lactating mothers, raspberry tea or eating the fruit helps increase the production of breast milk.

Three servings of raspberries per day can prove to be a brilliant natural remedy for macular degeneration. Macular degeneration is an age-related medical condition that affects your vision. This leads to a loss of vision in the midpoint of the visual field due to damage to the retina. Raspberries work like magic on wrinkles. They protect the skin from the harmful sun rays. The antioxidant powers of vitamin C effectively reduce the age spots and discoloration. By filling in minor wrinkles, they can help you restore your youthful appearance.

Fun Facts: Scotland is famous for raspberries. If you want a limitless supply of this fruit, it is where you must go to. In fact, in the 1950s, raspberries were transported from Scotland to London on a steam train called Raspberry Special.

The fruit is deeply symbolic. In certain kinds of Christian art, raspberries symbolize kindness. In the Philippines, a raspberry cane hung outside the house is supposed to deter evil spirits. And in Germany, the canes are tied to the body of a horse to calm it down.

Raspberries are like the other fruits, best picked when ripe. They will not continue to ripen once picked. They will start to spoil in 3 to 4 days. You can refrigerate them to add a few extra days to their shelf life. However, when storing it’s best to lay them on a paper towel in a single layer to help them last longer. Do not wash until you are ready to use as this will cause them to lose flavor and nutrients more quickly as well. Freezing them however, will cause them to last for about 6 months. To freeze, wash and dry well. Place in a single layer on a cookie sheet and freeze for 4 hours. Then, place in Ziploc baggies and remove as much air as possible. Pick up some raspberries this weekend and meet me in the kitchen for some delicious recipes (ask my coworkers- they love the goodies I bring) using this fantastic fruit.