FOOD OF THE MONTH
RASPBERRIES
Did you know that raspberries provide
us with a wider diversity of antioxidant
and anti-inflammatory phytonutrients
than most other commonly-eaten
fruits? And the vast majority of these
phytonutrients are provided in
amounts that are significant in terms of
protecting us against the dangers of
oxidative stress and the dangers of
excessive inflammation. By helping to
scavenge free radical molecules, and by
helping to regulate the activity of enzymes that could trigger unwanted inflammation, the phytonutrients in
raspberries help lower our risk of chronic diseases that are associated with chronic oxidative stress and chronic
inflammation. Such chronic diseases include obesity, type 2 diabetes, asthma, hypertension and atherosclerosis.
Recent studies indicate numerous cancer-preventive effects of ellagic acid, including inhibiting tumor cell
proliferation and causing cancer cells to commit suicide. The ellagic acid found in raspberries deserves special
mention as an anti-inflammatory compound. This phytonutrient has been shown to help block over activity and
overprodution of NF-kappaB, a key pro-inflammatory mediator.
One of the most fascinating new areas of raspberry research involves the potential for raspberries to improve management
of obesity. Although this research is in its early stages, scientists now know that metabolism in our fat cells can be increased
by phytonutrients found in raspberries, especially rheosmin (also called raspberry ketone). By increasing enzyme activity,
oxygen consumption, and heat production in certain types of fat cells, raspberry phytonutrients like rheosmin may be able
to decrease risk of obesity as well as risk of fatty liver. In addition to these benefits, rheosmin can decrease activity of a fatdigesting enzyme released by our pancreas called pancreatic lipase. This decreas