Raspberries, members of the rose family, are comprised of over 200 separate species and range in color from golden to black, though most raspberries are red. Black raspberries offer a variety of potential health benefits, some of which pertain to prevention and treatment of some forms of cancer. Consult your doctor before using black raspberries to treat cancer.
Antioxidants
Black raspberries inhibited mouth cancer in a study by the College of Dentistry at Ohio State University and published in the May 2011 issue of the journal "Cancer Prevention Research." In the tissue culture study using human oral tissue, freeze-dried black raspberries in contact with saliva resulted in active forms of the antioxidants present in the black raspberries, implying that the antioxidants in black raspberries have a high level of activity when consumed. Researchers concluded that black raspberries may be a useful preventative for oral cancers
Oral Cancer
An oral gel made from freeze-dried black raspberries produced variable results in a clinical trial conducted at the Division of Oral Maxillofacial Surgery, Pathology & Anesthesiology at the College of Dentistry at Ohio State University. Participants applied the gel under their tongues, and saliva samples were collected hourly for several hours after and analyzed for antioxidant levels. Results showed several factors, such as pH within the mouth, that influence absorption
of the antioxidants. Researchers concluded that black raspberry gel may prove to be a convenient and effective delivery method for prevention of some forms of oral cancer. The study appeared in the April 2009 journal "Pharmaceutical Research."
Throat Cancer
Late-stage throat cancer may respond well to treatment with black raspberries, according to researchers at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus. In the laboratory animal study, a diet containing 5 percent black raspberry powder resulted in fewer cancerous growths. Black raspberry powder also normalized 13 percent of the genes associated with throat cancer, some of which control carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, cell growth and reproduction, inflammation and blood supply. Researchers note this was the first study to determine the effects of black raspberries on genes involved with late-stage throat cancer. The study appeared in the April 2011 issue of the journal "Molecular Carcinogenesis."
Colon Cancer
A human trial on the effects of black raspberries on colon cancer reported the potential of black raspberries to activate tumor suppressor genes and influence other aspects of tumor development. In the study, conducted at the Department of Internal Medicine, Comprehensive Cancer Center, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, tissue samples of colon cancer cells from 20 colon cancer patients were treated with black raspberry powder for between one and nine weeks. Results showed protective effects in samples that were treated for an average of four weeks. The study was published in the February 2011 issue of the journal "Clinical Cancer Research."
References
- "Pharmaceutical Research"; Distribution of Anthocyanins Delivered from a Bioadhesive Black Raspberry Gel Following Topical Intraoral Application in Normal Healthy Volunteers; C. Ugalde, et al.; April 2009
- "Cancer Prevention Research"; Effects of Human Oral Mucosal Tissue, Saliva and Oral Microflora on Intraoral Metabolism and Bioactivation of Black Raspberry Anthocyanins; S. Mallery; May 2011
- "Molecular Carcinogenesis"; Mechanistic Basis for the Chemopreventive Effects of Black Raspberries at a Late Stage of Rat Esophageal Carcinogenesis; L. Wang, et al.; April 2011
- "Clinical Cancer Research"; Modulation of Genetic and Epigenetic Biomarkers of Colorectal Cancer in Humans by Black Raspberries: a Phase I Pilot Study; L. Wang, et al.; February 2011
- LearningInfo.org: Raspberries Nutrition Facts
