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Raspberries
Few things are more exciting than stumbling across a wild raspberry bush on a hike or in your garden. Not only do these juicy little gems taste delicious, but studies suggest they’re high in melatonin. In fact, it has been suggested that raspberries have the second highest amount of melatonin of any edible plant – second only to goji berries.
Raspberries are also a great source of antioxidants that help fight against the cell damage caused by free radicals. Together, these two amazing health benefits mean that the berries’ antioxidants can work hard to rejuvenate your cells while helping you get a restful night’s sleep.
Ongoing research also suggests that raspberries can have anti-cancer effects.
AVAILABLE RESEARCH
Sleep
This work reviews the available data on melatonin and serotonin levels in edible plants, including raspberries. The data shows that raspberries have among the highest concentrations of melatonin from the samples reviewed.
Antioxidants
This paper investigates the antioxidant constituents in raspberries. Five anthocyanins (flavonoids with antioxidant effects) were found to be present in raspberries, the most significant of which are cyanidin 3-rutinoside and cyanidin 3-xylosylrutinoside. The authors state that “these two compounds exhibit potential biological activities that may be exploited in conjunction with other naturally occurring bioactive compounds in black raspberry fruit-based products used in clinical trials for the treatment of various types of cancer.”
This paper discusses the antioxidant properties and health benefits of raspberries. The authors state that raspberries are “rich in phytonutrients that have demonstrated chemoprotective properties against certain degenerative diseases.”
ADDITIONAL RESEARCH
Anti-Cancer
This study looked at the effects of black raspberry gel on oral intraepithelial neoplasia (precancerous growths in the mouth). After administering the gel daily for six weeks, it was found that most of the patients’ cases improved to varying extents, “from complete clinical regression to modest reduction.”
In this paper, researchers discuss how berries are considered “ideal” cancer preventive agents. The preliminary results of one of the discussed studies showed that the patients’ polyps (symptom of rectal cancer) disappeared.