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Health Benefits of Raspberries

These are small, tightly-packed red berries found during summer or autumn. They are used to make jams, jellies, pies, and ice creams. They have a high vitamin C and manganese content. They also contain vitamin K and magnesium.

Wonderfully delicious, bright red-colored raspberry is among the most popular berries grown all over the world. They are rich source of health promoting plant-derived nutrients, minerals, and vitamins that are essential for optimum health.

Botanically, the plant is a small shrub belonging to the family Rosaceae, of the genus: Rubus. It grows very well in temperate regions. The exotic berry is native to Europe but now widely cultivated in many temperate regions all over the world. Chief producers of raspberries are Poland, United States, Germany, and Chile.

Several subspecies of raspberries are grown; however, the most important modern commercial red-raspberry cultivars derive from hybrids between R. idaeus (European raspberry) and R. strigosus (American raspberry).

Technically, the whole berry is an aggregate of small drupe-lets, which are arranged in circular fashion around a hollow central cavity. Each tiny drupelet features small juicy pulp with a single whitish-yellow seed. Raspberries have a taste that varies by cultivar, and ranges from sweet to acidic, a feature quite similar to strawberries.

Raspberry has a conical shape, weighs about 3-4 g and contains 80-100 drupelets arranged in circular layers. While the most common type of raspberry (Rubus idaeus) is red-pink in color, hybrids actually come in a range of colors, including black, purple, orange, yellow and white.

Health benefits of raspberries

Delicious raspberries are low in calories and saturated fats but are rich source of dietary fiber and antioxidants. 100 g berries contain just 52 calories but provide 6.5 g of fiber (16% of daily recommended intake).

Raspberries have significantly high levels of phenolic flavonoid phytochemicals such as anthocyanins, ellagic acid (tannin), quercetin, gallic acid, cyanidins, pelargonidins, catechins, kaempferol and salicylic acid. Scientific studies show that these antioxidant compounds in these berries have potential health benefits against cancer, aging, inflammation, and neuro-degenerative diseases.

Xylitol is a low-calorie sugar substitute extracted from raspberries. A teaspoonful of xylitol contains just 9.6 calories as compared to that of sugar, which has 15 calories. Xylitol absorbs more slowly in the intestines than sugar and does not contribute to high glycemic index, and thus, can be helpful in diabetics.

Fresh raspberries are an excellent source of vitamin-C, which is also a powerful natural antioxidant. 100 g berries provide 26.2 mg or about 47% of DRI of vitamin C. Consumption of fruits rich in vitamin C helps the body develop resistance against infectious agents, counter inflammation, and scavenge harmful free radicals.

Raspberry contains anti-oxidant vitamins like vitamin A, and vitamin E. In addition to the above-mentioned antioxidants, is also rich in several other health promoting flavonoid poly phenolic antioxidants such as lutein, zea-xanthin, and ß-carotene in small amounts. Altogether, these compounds help act as protective scavengers against oxygen-derived free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) that play a role in aging and various disease processes.

Raspberry has an ORAC value (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) of about 4900 per 100 grams, crediting it among the top-ranked ORAC fruits.

Raspberries contain a good amount of minerals like potassium, manganese, copper, iron and magnesium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure. Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase. Copper is required in the production of red blood cells.

They are rich in B-complex group of vitamins and vitamin K. The berries contain very good amounts of vitamin B-6, niacin, riboflavin, and folic acid. These vitamins are function as co-factors and help body in the metabolism of carbohydrates, protein and fats.

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 fat-digesting enzyme released by our pancreas called pancreatic lipase. This decrease in enzyme activity may result in less digestion and absorption of fat.

Recent research on organic raspberries has now shown organic raspberries to be significantly higher in total antioxidant capacity than non-organic raspberries. Raspberries in the study were grown on farms in Maryland that had been previously certified as organic by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. A series of tests involving free radical scavenging all provided the same results: organic raspberries outperformed their non-organic counterparts in terms of their antioxidant activity. This greater antioxidant capacity was associated with the greater levels of total phenols and total anthocyanins found in organic versus non-organic raspberries. While there are many good reasons to purchase organic versus non-organic foods of all kinds, this study makes it clear that these reasons specifically hold true for raspberries in a profound way.

You’ll get significantly more antioxidant support by purchasing raspberries that are fully ripe. Recent studies have measured the total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, and anthocyanin content of raspberries harvested at varying stages of ripeness (from 50% to 100% maturity) and greatest overall antioxidant benefits were associated with full ripeness of the berries. Although it’s possible for raspberries to ripen after harvest, this fruit can be highly perishable and can mold quite easily at room temperature. So your most risk-free approach for getting optimal antioxidant benefits from raspberries is to purchase them at full maturity, keep them refrigerated at all times at temperatures between 35-39°F (2°-4°C), and consume them very quickly (within 1 to 2 days after purchase).

Anti-cancer benefits of raspberries have long been attributed to their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory phytonutrients. In animal studies involving breast, cervical, colon, esophageal, and prostate cancers, raspberry phytonutrients have been shown to play an important role in lowering oxidative stress, reducing inflammation, and thereby altering the development or reproduction of cancer cells. But new research in this area has shown that the anti-cancer benefits of raspberries may extend beyond their basic antioxidant and anti-inflammatory aspects. Phytonutrients in raspberries may also be able to change the signals that are sent to potential or existing cancer cells. In the case of existing cancer cells, phytonutrients like ellagitannins in raspberries may be able to decrease cancer cell numbers by sending signals that encourage the cancer cells to being a cycle of programmed cell death (apoptosis). In the case of potentially but not yet cancerous cells, phytonutrients in raspberries may be able to trigger signals that encourage the non-cancerous cells to remain non-cancerous.

Blueberries Health Benefits

The highest antioxidant capacity of all fresh fruit: Blue Berries, being very rich in anti oxidants like Anthocyanin, vitamin C, B complex, vitamin E, vitamin A, copper (a very effective immune builder and anti-bacterial), selenium, zinc, iron (promotes immunity by raising haemoglobin and oxygen concentration in blood) etc. boost up your immune system and prevent infections. Once your immunity is strong, you won’t catch colds, fever, pox and all such nasty viral and bacterial communicable diseases.

Neutralizes free radicals which can affect disease and aging in the body: Blue Berries bring you the brightest ray of hope, for they are laden with anti oxidants and rank number 1 in the world of anti oxidants. This is mainly due to presence of Anthocyanin, a pigment responsible for the blue color of the blue berries. The abundance of vitamin-C is also a big factor for this as well.

Aid in reducing Belly Fat: A new University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center study suggests that blueberries may help reduce belly fat and risk factors for cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome. So far, we know that the fruit works on rats, which were the test subjects. A blueberry-enriched powder was mixed into the rats’ diet, which was either low-fat or high-fat rat chow. After 90 days, the rats with the blueberry-enriched diet had less abdominal fat, lower triglycerides, lower cholesterol and improved fasting glucose and insulin sensitivity. And their health was even better when combined with the low-fat diet. That group had lower body weight, lower total fat mass and reduced liver mass than the rats on the high-fat diet. An enlarged liver is linked to obesity and insulin resistance, a hallmark of diabetes. Although more research is needed to confirm these results in humans, a related study presented at the same conference showed that men with risk factors for heart disease who drank wild blueberry juice for three weeks seemed to experience slight improvements in glucose and insulin control.

Helps promote urinary tract health: The building of colonies of certain bacteria like b-coli along the lining of the inner walls of urinary tract is responsible for this infection, resulting in inflammation, burning sensation during in passage of urine and other complications. Here, Blue Berries can be surprisingly beneficial. It has a compound formed of big polymer like heavy molecules which inhibits the growth of such bacteria. It also has some anti biotic properties which adds to this effect. These heavy and big molecules almost wash-off these bacteria along the tract, thereby preventing the infection.

Been proved to preserve vision: Blueberry extract, high in compounds called anthocyanosides, has been found in clinical studies to slow down visual loss. They can prevent or delay all age related ocular problems like macular degeneration, cataract, myopia and hypermetropia, dryness and infections, particularly those pertaining to retina, due to their anti-oxidant properties. Blue Berries contain a special group of anti oxidants called Carotenoids (lutein, zeaxanthin etc.), Flavonoids (like rutin, resveritrol, quercetin etc.), in addition to others such as vitamin C, vitamin E and vitamin A, selenium, zinc and phosphorus, which are very beneficial and essential for the ocular health. Data reported in a study published in the Archives of Ophthalmology indicates that eating 3 or more servings of fruit per day may lower your risk of age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), the primary cause of vision loss in older adults, by 36%, compared to persons who consume less than 1.5 servings of fruit daily.

Brain Health: The anthocyanin, the selenium, the vitamins A, B-complex, C and E, the zinc, sodium, potassium, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, manganese etc., among others, can prevent and heal neurotic disorders by preventing degeneration and death of neurons, brain-cells and also by restoring health of the central nervous system. It is hard to believe that these berries can also cure serious problems like Alzheimer’s disease to a great extent. They even heal damaged brain cells and neuron tissues and keep your memory sharp for a long-long time. Researchers found that diets rich in blueberries significantly improved both the learning capacity and motor skills of aging animals, making them mentally equivalent to much younger ones.

Heart Disease: The high fiber content, those brilliant anti oxidants and the ability to dissolve the ‘bad cholesterol’ make the Blue Berry an ideal dietary supplement to cure many heart diseases. It also strengthens the cardiac muscles. In this study, published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, researchers found that a moderate drink (about 4 ounces) of white wine contained .47 mmol of free radical absorbing antioxidants, red wine provided 2.04 mmol, and a wine made from highbush blueberries delivered 2.42 mmol of these protective plant compounds.

Constipation & Digestion: While roughage (fiber) in Blue Berries keep away constipation (Of course, a single piece alone will not do. You need to eat a big handful of them), the vitamins, sodium, copper, fructose and acids improve digestion.

Cancer: Blue Berries can prove to be bliss for the cancer patients, for they contain certain compounds like Pterostilbene (excellent remedy for colon and liver cancer) and Ellagic Acid which, in harmony with Anthocyanin and other anti oxidants like vitamin-C and copper, can do miracles to prevent and cure cancer. Laboratory studies published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry show that phenolic compounds in blueberries can inhibit colon cancer cell proliferation and induce apoptosis (programmed cell death). A significant 34% reduction in ovarian cancer risk was also seen in women with the highest intake of the flavone luteolin (found in citrus).

Other benefits & facts: They keep you fresh, active, fit, sharp, close to nature and in a good mood, as they are very good anti depressants. You also need not spend a lot on medicines, neither are there any side effects. Remember, the deeper the color of the Blue Berries, the more they are rich in anti oxidants and other medicinal values.

The Health Benefits of Walnuts

Walnuts are not only delicious, they also pack a nutritional punch. Check out the health benefits of walnuts

1. They can reduce the risk of breast cancer

Eating about 28 walnut halves a day provides antioxidants and phytosterols that may help reduce the risk of breast cancer, according to a study at the Marshall University School of Medicine in West Virginia. Mice were fed a daily diet with the human equivalent of two ounces (60 g) of walnuts. Compared to mice fed a control diet, the walnut eaters had significantly decreased breast tumour incidence and a slower rate of tumour growth.

2. They’re packed with omega-3 fatty acids

A diet rich in omega-3s is beneficial in reducing depression, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), cancer and Alzheimer’s disease and there’s also strong evidence that omega-3s counter inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s disease.

3. They can reduce risk of diabetes

Women who reported eating one ounce (30 g) of nuts at least five times per week reduced their risk of type 2 diabetes by almost 30 percent compared to those who rarely or never ate nuts, say researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health. The mono- and polyunsaturated fats in nuts are good for insulin sensitivity.

4. They contain antioxidants that boost heart health

A new study from the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania shows walnuts have higher quality antioxidants and a mix of more healthful antioxidants than any other nut.

5. They can help you deal with stress

A diet rich in walnuts and walnut oil may help the body deal better with stress. Research published last year in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that walnuts and walnut oil lowered both resting blood pressure and blood pressure responses to stress in the laboratory. The researchers said the study shows that a dietary change could help our bodies better respond to stress.

Anti Aging benefits of Resveratrol

After some debate, Harvard Medical School researchers are saying they have confirmed that compound resveratrol that’s found in red wine does provide anti-aging benefits.

The study, which was published on March 8 in Science, shows that resveratrol stimulates production of SIRT1, a serum that blocks diseases by speeding up the cell’s energy production centers known as mitrochondria.

Researchers have also figured out which gene allows resveratrol to produce SIRT1, and believe that some drugs currently in clinical trials may be able to provide the same anti-aging benefits as well.

“In the history of pharmaceuticals, there has never been a drug that binds to a protein to make it run faster in the way that resveratrol activates SIRT1,” senior author David Sinclair, Harvard Medical School professor of genetics, said in a press release. “Almost all drugs either slow or block them.”

Resveratrol is a naturally-occuring polyphenols antioxidant that is found in some plant products like grapes and cocoa. It is categorized as a phytoalexin, an antimicrobial compound that is produced by plants to protect them from rough environments like excessive ultraviolet light, infections and climate changes.

Resveratrol has been linked to protection against obesity and diabetes, a reduced risk for blood clotting and a way to lower “bad” LDL cholesterol, due to the compound’s ability to dilate blood vessels, increase nitric oxide and block the stickiness of platelets. However, some research came into question when Dr. Dipak K. Das, director of the cardiovascular research center at the University of Connecticut who led several reseveratrol studies, was accused of making up results in January 2013.

There was also a controversy behind whether SIRT1’s production was actually influenced by resveratrol. Earlier studies have used a man-made chemical group which glowed brighter the more SIRT1 activity went up. Without this chemical, the experiments didn’t work. Some scientists believed that because of this, it meant that SIRT1’s activity was only a laboratory construct and didn’t exist in nature.

Can you get resveratrol’s anti-aging benefits by putting it on your skin?

Study examines red wine’s anti-aging ingredient, resveratrol

Large amounts of red wine compound resveratrol may help with balance in elderly people

“We had six years of work telling us that this was most definitely not an artifact,” Sinclair, who initially published a study in 2006 linking resveratrol to SIRT1 and longevity in mice using that man-made chemical, said. “Still, we needed to figure out precisely how resveratrol works. The answer was extremely elegant.”

To prove that there was a link between resveratrol and SIRT1, scientists discovered that the man-made chemical was actually close to three amino acids that were naturally found in cells, one of which is tryptophan, the chemical thought to make people drowsy after eating turkey. Instead of using the florescent chemical, researchers used a tryptophan residue in a test tube to see if it would create more SIRT1, which it did.

Then, Sinclair and his team looked at 2,000 mutants of the gene responsible for SIRT1 to find out how resveratrol worked, and found one mutation that stopped resveratrol’s effects by swapping out one of the 747 amino acid residues.

After they found where this mutation was found on SIRT1-creating gene and how to control it, researchers replaced the normal SIRT1 gene in manufactured muscle and skin cells with the one that stopped resveratrol’s effect. They then introduced resveratrol and some other medications in clinical trials. Resveratrol and some of the medications were able to speed up mitrochondria by activating more SIRT1 in normal cells, but the mutated cells were unaffected by the substances.

“This was the killer experiment,” said Sinclair. “There is no rational alternative explanation other than resveratrol directly activates SIRT1 in cells. Now that we know the exact location on SIRT1 where and how resveratrol works, we can engineer even better molecules that more precisely and effectively trigger the effects of resveratrol.”

It is important to note that Sinclair is a co-founder and scientific advisor of Sirtris, a GlaxoSmithKline company. Sirtris currently has a number of sirtuin (SIRT1)-activating compounds in clinical trials.

Sinclair told the Telegraph in a separate interview that he wants to continue the studies to see if reveratrol can help people who are already really healthy.

“Things there are also looking promising. We’re finding that ageing isn’t the irreversible affliction that we thought it was,” he commented. “Some of us could live to 150, but we won’t get there without more research.”

Many agree that the information is promising.

“This is not weak evidence at this point,” Leonard Guarente, a biologist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Sirtris scientific advisory board member, added to the Los Angeles Times.”You would really bet the ranch on this one.”

“It might bring together the different views so we can move forward,” Brian Kennedy, president and chief executive of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging in Novato, Calif., added in a press release. Kennedy previously questioned the results of studies using resveratrol and yeast. “This is how science works.”

What are the results of deficiency in CoQ10?

Firstly, What is CoQ10?

Coenzyme Q10 (or CoQ10) is a natural chemical compound that we make in our bodies and consume in our diets, primarily from oily fish, organ meats such as liver, and whole grains.

It resides in the energy-producing part of cells and is involved with producing a key molecule known as adenosine-5-triphosphate (or ATP).

ATP is a cell’s major energy source and it contributes to several important biological processes, such as the production of protein, and muscle contraction.

Why is CoQ10 important?

CoQ10 has the potential to vastly improve human health. It can help you combat fatigue, for example, as well as obesity, and a weak immune system (particularly for those with HIV, other viruses, and yeast infections).

It helps boost athletic performance (CoQ10 levels are low in people who exercise excessively), and it improves exercise tolerance in people with muscular dystrophy.

It also prevents toxin overload, and swollen gums (those with periodontal disease tend to have low levels of CoQ10 in their gums). Early studies show it may also increase sperm motility, leading to enhanced fertility. It’s all in a day’s work for CoQ10!

What’s the importance of COQ10 for heart disease?

The American Chemical Society’s most prestigious honour, the Priestley Medal, was awarded to Karl Folkers, Ph.D., for his landmark Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) research. That’s because Folkers found that in addition to the benefits listed above, CoQ10’s most valuable role may lie in fighting heart disease.

In fact, he says he found the blood levels of CoQ10 to be significantly lower in heart-disease patients than in those who were disease free, and he discovered that 70 percent of his heart patients with congestive heart failure benefited from taking CoQ10.

Eminent heart surgeon Denton Cooley, M.D., agrees. He says that in heart biopsies, he found 75 percent of his cardiac patients had varying, but significant, deficiencies of CoQ10. Reports by over a hundred Japanese cardiac specialists who gave CoQ10 to thousands of patients with heart problems for nearly ten years also seemed to support these findings.

Additional benefits of CoQ10

Not only that, but several studies with small numbers of people suggest that CoQ10 may lower blood pressure after a few weeks, and it might help to prevent some of the heart damage caused by chemotherapy.

Introducing CoQ10 before heart surgery may reduce the damage caused by free radicals and oxidative damage, as well as lowering the incidence of irregular heart beat, and strengthening heart function during recovery.

Interesting effects on cholesterol lowering drugs

CoQ10 levels tend to be lower in people with a high cholesterol count, compared with healthy individuals of the same age.

What’s more, certain cholesterol-lowering drugs (statins such as cerivastatin, atorvastatin, pravastatin simvastatin and lovastatin) seem to reduce the natural levels of CoQ10 in the body.

Taking CoQ10 supplements can correct the deficiency caused by statins, without changing the medication’s positive effects on cholesterol levels.

As a result of its beneficial effects on one of the body’s most important organs, Folkers calls CoQ10 “a natural and essential co-factor in the heart.”

CoQ10 and diabetes

Of course, managing cholesterol levels, helping the circulatory system, blood sugar levels and heart health is particularly important for diabetics, and CoQ10 supplements may be a help to them.

Despite concern that CoQ10 may cause a sudden drop in blood sugar, two recent studies of people with diabetes given CoQ10 twice a day showed they experienced no hypoglycemic response. If you’re diabetic, talk to your doctor about how you can safely take CoQ10.

CoQ10 for Alzheimers and cancer

Now, scientists are hoping its effects on the heart, blood systems, and tissue toxicity means CoQ10 can soon be used as part of a treatment program for Alzheimer’s disease, and for recovery from stroke. They’re also hopeful about the possibility of using it as part of a treatment regimen for women with breast cancer (together with conventional treatment and a nutrional program involving high levels of other antioxidants and fatty acids).

How does CoQ10 perform all these roles?

So how does it do it? Researchers think it may all be possible on account of CoQ10’s ability to inhibit blood clot formation, improve energy production in cells, and act as an antioxidant.

Antioxidants are substances that hunt for free radicals and escort them out of the body, which prevents the free radicals causing oxidative damage to cell membranes and DNA when they accumulate in the tissues and blood as a result of pollution, UV light, cigarette smoking, and as a by-product of normal metabolic processes.

Free radicals cause us to age more quickly, and they contribute to a number of health problems including heart disease and cancer. Helping the fight agaist free radicals

Antioxidants such as CoQ10 can neutralize free radicals and may reduce or even help prevent some of the damage they cause.

CoQ10 may have found its perfect partner in another potent antioxidant: vitamin E. Together they are the principle fat-soluable antioxidants in cells, and CoQ10 may help vitamin E act more effectively in the body.

Another friend of CoQ10 is the spectacular antioxidant dihydrolipoic acid (DHLA). It’s unique in its ability to zap every known free radical that occurs in living tissue; it’s also readily absorbed and has a very low toxicity.

Its talents make it a valuable resource in combating the free radical damage associated with Alzheimer’s disease, for example, as well as Parkinson’s disease, and other degenerative brain conditions.

CoQ10 may not work as effectively alone, so to take advantage of its enormously helpful health benefits, be sure to combine your good quality supplements with a healthy diet, stress reduction techniques, and responsible levels of exercise. Enjoy!