Posts Tagged ‘Anthocyanin’
Raspberries are rich in ellagic acid, which is a natural phytonutrient that belongs the tannin family, and it is the most significant antioxidant that is present in raspberries. You can find ellagic acid at health food shops, as it is sold there, being a dietary supplement.
This ellagic acid, found in raspberries is helpful to avoid damage of DNA and cell membranes, because they stop the free radicals by reducing the oxidant potential.
Raspberries are also having other important phytonutrients called flavonoids. The most important flavonoids are kaempferol, and quercetin. These flavonoids fit in the group of anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are pigments that give color to a number of berries, including raspberries.
Anthocyanins are not just responsible for the color giving properties. They also have anti-oxidant powers. Studies have shown that they fight effectively against fungi and bacteria.
Researches are being carried out, and the initial results show that raspberries have cancer-fighting properties. Some animals infected by cancer cells were given raspberries, and they showed significant progress than the others who didn’t get raspberry supplements.
According to the studies held in Netherlands, raspberries have much higher antioxidant content than other berries. Compared with strawberries, raspberries have 50 % higher content of anti oxidants. Compared with kiwifruits, raspberries had three times more antioxidants and they had ten times more antioxidant content when compared to tomatoes rich in lycopene.
Some say that their high antioxidant content is due to the existence of ellagitannins. These substances are present exclusively in raspberries, and are found to be anti-cancer.
Studies have also shown that frozen raspberries do not lose their antioxidant powers, although processed berries have a lesser amount of them. So you should always prefer fresh berries, or frozen berries than processed ones, if you are going for health benefits. Though, some of the nutrients do get reduced during freezing as well. For example, vitamin C in the raspberries reduces to half when you freeze them. If you want to freeze raspberries without losing the health benefits, it is always advised that you add s bit of lemon juice to them, while you freeze them.
Raspberries have tons of nutrients. They are rich in manganese, vitamin C, folate, magnesium, riboflavin, niacin, copper and potassium. They are also a good source of fiber, and thus keep our digestive system clean.
If you want to gain all these benefits, start including raspberries in your daily diet. You can include them as fresh fruits, or as an ingredient to any of your recipes. Their health benefits are numerous.
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Blueberries belong to the family of bilberry and cranberry, in terms of health benefits. These come from shrubs, and these fruits grow in bunches and are of small size, ranging from pea size to marble size. They have darker shades of color, of blue variations. Some come with maroon shades, and others have purple tint to them. They are very delicious, but that’s not all. They come with a number of health benefits.
* Antioxidant capacity: Blueberries are highly loaded with a number of anti oxidants like vitamin C, Anthocyanin, B Complex, vitamin A, vitamin E, copper, iron and zinc etc. They promote immunity and raise oxygen and hemoglobin levels in the blood. With strong immunity, you are able to fight diseases better, and will not fall for common cold, fever, flu etc very easily.
* Blueberries neutralize free radicals: Blueberries neutralize the free radicals that increase the ageing process and diseases in the body. This is because of the rich content of Anthocyanin and vitamin C in them. They prevent the cause of ageing, and your skin will look beautiful and your immune system can fight diseases in a better way.
* Reducing fat: It is believed that blueberries help fight the fat off your belly and also prevent metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular diseases.
* Urinary tract health: Most urinary tract infections are due to the colony formation of bacteria like b-coli, in the inner walls of the tract. Blueberries have a compound formed from a large polymer, which reduces the formation of these bacteria. The additional anti-biotic properties of blueberries help it further. The large polymers get rid of these bacteria, and thus provide relief to such infections.
* Good for vision: The extracts of blueberries have been found to reduce the loss of vision, due to the presence of a compound called anthocyanoside. As blueberries contain vitamin A and vitamin E, which are good for eyes and skin tissues, they further help people in maintaining their eyesight.
* Brain health: There are several compounds in blueberries that prevent and heal neurotic disorders, and also restore health to the central nervous system. Some of these compounds are: anthocyanin, vitamin, A, B-complex, sodium, zinc, potassium, phosphorus, copper etc. These also prevent Alzheimer’s disease.
* Digestive disorders: Blueberries contain roughage, which helps you to prevent constipation and keep your digestive system healthy.
* Cancer: Blueberries can be helpful for cancer patients, as they contain Pterostilbene, which works effectively in case of liver and colon cancer.
Blueberries have lots of health values. Be sure to have a regular intake of blueberries to fight off diseases.
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