Eating raspberries can provide you many health benefits.These benefits include preventing heart disease and fighting age-related changes. The mechanism underlying such benefits remains unknown, but chemicals, such as anthocyanins, have potent antioxidant effects. Raspberries, however, can cause allergic reactions. Speak with a doctor before consuming large amounts of berries.
Prevents Stomach Ulceration
Stomach ulcers remain a common problem, according to a January 2010 report in the "Annals of Surgery." This form of internal bleeding often develops into peptic ulcer disease. That medical condition often requires hospitalization and surgery. Prescription medications can help treat stomach ulcers, but these drugs often cause side effects. An experiment described in the March 2011 issue of "Carcinogenesis" determined whether a more natural treatment -- powered black raspberries -- might eventually provide a healthier alternative. The researchers added raspberries to the normal diet of ulcerated animals for two weeks. Relative to controls, rodents given the berries showed less ulceration. The treated rats also had less inflammation, and they were better able to maintain their body weight.
Inhibits Breast Cancer
American women have a relatively high risk for acquiring breast cancer, according to a May 2011 article in "International Journal of Environmental Health Research." The cause of this risk remains unknown, but prevention has become a priority. Increasing your physical activity can reduce risk, and improving your diet may help as well. A study published in the 2008 volume of "Nutrition and Cancer" looked at the effect of powdered black raspberries in an animal model of breast cancer. Rodents given large amounts of estrogen often develop breast tumors. Adding raspberries to the diet of rodents for six months reduced the number and size of these tumors. No adverse effects of raspberry intake were observed in the treated rats.
Suppresses Esophageal Tumors
The prevalence of esophageal cancer continues to increase, according to a June 2011 report in "Biomarkers in Medicine." Even worse, people with cancer of the esophagus rarely return to normal functioning. Chemotherapy provides some relief for these patients, but such harsh treatment has many side effects. An investigation offered in the November 2006 issue of "Carcinogenesis" evaluated the ability of black raspberry powder to suppress the development of esophageal tumors. Laboratory animals with cancer of the esophagus received powdered raspberries for 20 weeks. Rats given the berries had fewer tumors than controls. The remaining tumors also were smaller in size. Raspberries reduced the formation of new blood vessels in the cancerous tissue, essentially choking the tumors.
Decreases Rectal Polyps
Colon and rectal cancer kills thousands of people each year, according to a November 2010 article in "Tumori." Detecting cancerous polyps early -- before the disease spreads to the lymph glands -- can prevent some of these deaths. Keeping the polyps from developing at all can save even more lives. A clinical trial described in the October 2007 issue of "Seminars in Cancer Biology" tested the impact of powdered raspberries on adults with colon cancer. Patients received daily doses of black raspberry powder for nine months. Relative to the placebo, this treatment caused a 50 percent reduction in the number of polyps. These results, while encouraging, remain preliminary and the long-term effect of raspberry powder requires additional study.
References
- "Molecular Nutrition and Food Research"; Berry Anthocyanins as Novel Antioxidants in Human Health and Disease Prevention; Shirley Zafra-Stone, et al.; June 2007
- "Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology"; Occupational Asthma due to Freeze-Dried Raspberry; David Sherson, et al.; June 2003
- "Annals of Surgery"; Trends and Outcomes of Hospitalizations for Peptic Ulcer Disease in the United States, 1993 to 2006; Richard Y. Yang, et al.; January 2010
- "Carcinogenesis"; Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Freeze-Dried Black Raspberry Powder in Ulcerative Colitis; David C. Montrose, et al.; March 2011
- "International Journal of Environmental Health Research"; Y. Wei, et al.; May 2011
- "Nutrition and Cancer"; Dietary Berries and Ellagic Acid Diminish Estrogen-Mediated Mammary Tumorigenesis in ACI Rats; Harini S. Aiyer, et al.; 2008
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