Raspberry Fruit with Antioxidant Ellagic acid

One of the healthy berries is raspberry. You might already know that raspberry provides the most significant sources for ellagic acids as a dietary supplement sold in many health food stores. As an antioxidant fruit  containing the phytonutrients, raspberries provides strong antioxidants to inhibit the oxidation process in cells which help neutralize free radicals. According to research, this fruit has almost 50 percent higher antioxidant activity than strawberries, 3 times that of kiwis, and 10 times the antioxidant activity of tomatoes. Raspberry leaves are also known to be effective in regulating the female menstrual cycle. Black raspberries are often confused with blackberries. Actually, they taste different. What is the difference between black raspberries and blackberries? There are still other raspberry benefits you might not aware of, so let's learn more about the nutritional benefits of Raspberry Fruit as well as the Cons of Raspberries!

About Raspberry
Raspberry fruit (or hindberry) is the edible fruit of various fruit-bearing plants in the genus Rubus in the rose family Rosaceae, subfamily Rosoideae. The Raspberry fruit is a bramble fruit that is an aggregate of drupelets. The raspberry, whose pistils are termed "drupelets" (one-seeded fruits) because each is like a small drupe attached to the receptacle. The name "raspberry" originally referred to the red-fruited European species Rubus idaeus, and is frequently used to refer to just this particular species.

What does a raspberry fruit taste like?
Raspberries taste? Raspberries taste sweet, sour, juicy, and melt in mouth. Red raspberry leaf tea tastes like regular tea or a typical herbal tea.

Raspberry Color
Two commercially grown species of Raspberry are the red-fruited Rubus idaeus (European red raspberry) and the black-fruited Rubus occidentalis (Black Raspberry). There are also other types including yellow and purple raspberries. Raspberry also comes in a range of colors including purple, orange, golden yellow, and white depending on the species and cultivar.

Red Raspberries
Red raspberries (Rubus idaeus) are native to Asia Minor (where they grew wild in a region near Mount Ida) and North America. Some red raspberry varieties are distinguished by their ability to initiate flower buds on primocanes during their first summer and produce fruit that fall. Cultivars with this growth habit are known variously as "everbearing," "fall-fruiting," or "primocane-bearing" raspberries, and are being widely used as a means of extending the fresh fruit marketing season.

Black Raspberries
Black raspberries are native to North America. Black raspberries (affectionately known as “Blackcaps” by growers) are not as winter hardy as red raspberries and they are more susceptible to diseases. In addition, black raspberries are less productive than are red raspberries. Nevertheless, black raspberries impart a unique flavor to many products, and substantial quantities are produced commercially in western Oregon.

According to a study at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, published in the "Journal of Biological Chemistry" in 2007, reported that black raspberry extract killed leukemia cells in cultures while sparing healthy cells.

Note: Because of the lack of scientific information regarding side effects or dosages, it's recommended that individuals with leukemia consult with their doctor / healthcare provider before consuming black raspberry extract or black raspberries.

Purple and Yellow Raspberries
Purple raspberries are hybrids of black and red cultivars. Purple raspberries are intermediate between red and black raspberries in growth habit, have large fruit, and are juicer and more productive than are black raspberries. The botanical name Rubus × neglectus applies to these naturally occurring plants as well as horticulturally produced plants having the same parentage. Commercial production of purple raspberries is rare. Several yellow raspberry varieties are grown in small plantings throughout the United States. Except for color, yellow raspberries resemble red raspberries, having similar appearance and flavor. Yellow raspberries are primarily grown for specialty markets.

Raspberries and Blackberries
Both raspberries and blackberries are composite fruits consisting of numerous tiny individual “drupelets” (one-seeded fruits) attached to a central core or receptacle. As the bramble plant, raspberry and blackberry plants have perennial roots and biennial shoots. Raspberries and blackberries are also called caneberries or brambles.
What is the difference between a raspberry and a blackberry?
> The main difference between raspberries and blackberries is in the way the ripened berry separates from its stem. Raspberries loosen from the receptacle, leaving a hard, dry, inedible core attached to the plant. This results in a thimble-shaped fruit with a hollow center. On the other hand, blackberries loosen at the base of the receptacle, and the receptacle becomes an integral part of the fruit. The blackberry receptacle is soft, juicy, and edible.
> Raspberry drupelets adhere to one-another and are hairy, while in contrast blackberry drupelets are smooth and hairless.
> A raspberry has a hollow core once it is removed from the receptacle, unlike blackberries and dewberries.
> Black raspberries are often confused with blackberries. They are two different fruits and taste different. Blackberries have a solid center, while black raspberries are hollow when picked.
> Black raspberries are smaller and less shiny than blackberry fruits, while the blackberries are smoother and shinier.
> Unlike black raspberries and other raspberries, the receptacles of blackberries are eaten with the rest of the fruit.

Raspberry Cultivation
Growing Raspberries. Raspberries are traditionally planted in the winter as dormant canes, although planting of tender, plug plants produced by tissue culture has become much more common. Raspberries need to have an extended period during the winter with temperatures below 45'F before they can resume growth in the spring. However, extreme low temperatures may kill raspberry canes, basal buds, and even the entire plant. Winter injury reportedly is the most serious production peril for both raspberries and blackberries. In general, red raspberries are more hardy than are the black and purple cultivars. An additional, frequently-cited cause of yield loss among raspberries is root rot, which occurs when the soil is excessively wet. Excessive rains and excessive heat in combination at harvest-time were cited as conditions that contribute to diseases and quality degradation, especially among raspberries. Brambles are also subject to a number of other perils, such as hail, wind, and various insect and disease pests. Raspberry plant should not be planted where potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants or bulbs have previously been grown, without prior fumigation of the soil. These crops are hosts for the disease Verticillium Wilt, a fungus that can stay in the soil for many years and can infest the raspberry crop.

Raspberry Nutrition
Raspberry nutrition facts. Raspberries has significant amounts of polyphenol antioxidants such as anthocyanin pigments, the anti-cancer phytochemical ellagic acid, and are an excellent source of vitamin C, vitamin A, manganese and dietary fiber. Raspberry is also a good source of vitamin B2, folic acid, magnesium, riboflavin, folate, niacin, potassium and copper. Raspberries rank near the top of all fruits for antioxidant strength, particularly due to their dense contents of ellagic acid (from ellagotannins), quercetin, gallic acid, anthocyanins, cyanidins, pelargonidins, catechins, kaempferol and salicylic acid. Yellow raspberries and others with pale-coloured fruits are lower in anthocyanins.

Vitamin C in Raspberries?
Raspberry is a rich source of vitamin C, with 30 mg per serving of 1 cup (about 50% daily value), manganese (about 60% daily value) and dietary fibre (30% daily value).

According to a research conducted in the Netherlands (published in the journal BioFactors), raspberries possess almost 50 percent higher antioxidant activity than strawberries, three times that of kiwis, and ten times the antioxidant activity of tomatoes.

Raspberries and Ellagic acid
Ellagic acid is a natural phenol antioxidant found in numerous fruits and vegetables including raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, cranberries, and other plant foods. Plants produce ellagic acid and convert it to a form of tannin known as ellagitannins. These are glucosides which are readily hydrolyzed by water to regenerate ellagic acid when the plants are eaten. The highest levels of ellagic acid are found in strawberries, raspberries, cranberries, and grapes. Ellagic acid found naturally in raspberries belongs to the family of phytonutrients called tannins, and it is associated with a good portion of the antioxidant activity of raspberry and other berries.

Raspberry Calories - How Many Calories in Raspberry
Raspberry calories 1 cup?
> There are approximately 64 calories in 1 cup of raspberries.
> There are approximately 130 calories in 1 cup of unsweetened frozen raspberries.
> There are approximately 234 calories in 1 cup of cooked or canned raspberries.
> There are approximately 15 calories in 1 ounce (28g) of raspberries.

How to ripen Raspberries?
Raspberry does not ripen after it has been picked. However, ethylene may also be used when you want to accelerate ripening. You can place raspberries with an apple fruit in bag. The ethylene from the apple fruit will cause the raspberries to ripen faster, so you'll get the early ripe raspberries. Raspberry fruits are ripest and sweetest when it has turned a deep colour (red, black, purple, or golden yellow, depending on the species and cultivar).

Raspberry Leaves
Raspberry leaves can be used fresh or dried in herbal and medicinal teas. The raspberries leaves have an astringent flavour, and in herbal medicine are reputed to be effective in regulating the female menstrual cycle.

Health Benefits of Raspberry
Raspberry benefits
+ ellagic acid in raspberries help prevent unwanted damage to cell membranes.
+ anthocyanins provide antioxidant and antimicrobial properties.
+ Black Raspberries contain high levels of anthocyanins that work as antioxidants to help fight free radical damage in the body.
+ Raspberry fruit may prevent the growth of liver cancer.
+ Polyphenolic compounds from raspberry seeds are efficient antioxidants.
+ Tiliroside from raspberry is a potent tyrosinase inhibitor and might be used as a skin-whitening agent and pigmentation medicine.
+ protect against macular degeneration.
+ Young roots of Rubus idaeus prevented kidney stone formation in a mouse model of hyperoxaluria.
+ may inhibit cancer cell proliferation and tumor formation in various parts of the body, including the colon.
+ Rich in ellagic acid which is a phenolic compound known to help fight cancer, viruses and bacteria.
+ Extracts of raspberries and blackberries may slow the growth of breast, cervical, colon and esophageal cancers.
+ Raspberry extract is also said to be used to reduce inflammation, calm irritation and tone the skin.

Cons of Raspberry
- Raspberries Oxalates. Raspberry contains measurable amounts of oxalates. Oxalates are naturally-occurring chemicals in nature which are found in plants, animals, human beings, most common in fruits and vegetables. Some health professionals believe that oxalates contribute the formation of kidney stones. Oxalates should not be eaten in high concentration as they can crystallize and cause kidney or gallbladder problems. For this reason, individuals with already existing and untreated kidney or gallbladder problems may want to avoid eating raspberries. High oxalate fruits include many berries, including blackberries and blueberries.

Raspberry Recipes
How to enjoy a raspberry? Raspberries contain the highest levels of beneficial nutrients when they are eaten fresh. Anthocyanins are found in fresh and frozen raspberries, but not in processed foods such as canned foods, bread, cereals containing raspberries. The fruits are very delicate, so you should rinse them very gently.
+ Raspberry fruit can be made into raspberry jam or frozen raspberry recipes.
+ you can also mix fresh raspberries in with creamy millet porridge, yogurt
+ Raspberries are usually processed into individually quick frozen (IQF) fruit, raspberry sauce, raspberry purée, raspberry juice, raspberry muffins, raspberry cobbler, or as dried raspberries fruit.
+ Raspberry can also be used as a topping for raspberry waffles or raspberry pancakes.
+ Recipes using raspberries also include raspberry crisp, raspberry pops, raspberry pudding, raspberry cookies, and more.

In addition to Raspberries, you might also want to try other healthy berries such as blueberries with its super antioxidants, strawberries, cranberries, and blackberries.