Raspberries, an expensive fruit with a pronounced flavor, are an absolute must have in dietary rotation.

And I’m not saying this because I work for Driscoll’s berries and want you to support their family farms.

The fact of the matter is raspberries are a fabulous health-boosting food, one of the better ones to put on your plate (or in your coconut-milk yogurt parfait).

What makes them exceptional in terms of creating vibrant health has to do with several compounds they contain.

These compounds are known to help fight the formation of cancerous tumors, protect your hard-working heart and cardiovascular system, and even aid in weight loss (more on that one in a moment).

And while raspberries are typically one of the more expensive berries, they’re well worth the cost.

Plus, they’re absolutely delicious. That slightly sweet, slightly sour taste profile is one that gets the mouth watering and the tongue dancing.

One more added benefit to raspberries (especially if you’re not keen on spending $10-$12 on them every time you go to the grocery store) is they’re quite affordable when purchased frozen.

Not to mention, in some cases, they’re more nutritious when purchased frozen, too.

Now, it’s time to tell you why raspberries are well worth your hard-earned money (certainly better than Dairy Queen and just as delicious). 

5 Reasons Every Person Who Loves Their Body Should Eat More Raspberries

1 – Low in calories: 

The reason I chose to lead my article on raspberries off with a section on total calories is because I’m an advocate of the ketogenic diet.

Ketogenic diets don’t necessarily require low-calorie intake, but, most of your calories should be from fat, and not carbohydrates. Typically fruits are a higher calorie food as they’re filled with sugars.

Raspberries are surprisingly low in calories. 

A serving of raspberries, which is 1 cup, or 4.5 oz. only contains 64 calories. Compare that to the same serving size of banana (at 119 calories) and you’re at half the total caloric intake.

One serving of raspberries only has 5 grams of sugar – but 8 grams of dietary fiber, which from a nutritional standpoint makes it a juggernaut in the world of superfoods.

1 serving of raspberries even delivers close to a gram of omega-3 fatty acids which are some of the healthiest fats on the planet..

When you look at the nutritional profile of raspberries it’s impossible to deny how healthy they are.

2 – High in antioxidants:

Raspberries are filled with so many different antioxidants it’d be hard to argue 1 raspberry isn’t just 1 giant antioxidant.

As a reminder, antioxidants are microscopic compounds that form invisible shields around your cells and protect them from DNA damage while also seeking out and destroying potentially harmful free radicals.

The higher the antioxidant count a food has, the better it is at destroying free radicals.

Which is why consuming just a few berries will energize your body with a long-list of antioxidants.

The World’s Healthiest Foods did an amazing job of cataloging a partial list of the different types of antioxidants you’ll find in raspberries:

• Anthocyanins (flavonol derivatives)
  • cyanidins
  • pelargonidins
  • delphinidins
  • malvidins
• Flavonols
  • quercetin
  • kaempferol
• Flavan-3-ols
  • catechins
  • epicatechins
  • Proanthocyanidins
• Flavonoid glycosides
  • Tiliroside
• Tannins
  • ellagitannins (including sanguiin,lambertianin, castalagin, corilagin, and pucalagin)
  • Gallotannins
• Hydroxybenzoic acid derivatives
  • ellagic acid
  • gallic acid
  • vanillic acid
• Hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives
  • caffeic acid
  • chlorogenic acid
  • coumaric acid
  • ferulic acid
  • sinapic acid
• Stilbenoids
  • resveratrol

It’s an impressive list, and bodes well for making the claim that raspberries could help you live a longer, healthier life.

It’s also what helps raspberries fight cancer.

3 – Help to fight cancer:

One of the more effective means of fighting cancer is providing your body with full-spectrum antioxidant support.

Studies show that some of the polyphenolic antioxidants like anthocyanins help to modulate how the body responds to inflammation which could help prevent the rise of cancerous tumours.

But, polyphenols helping fight cancer is common of many fruits.

What’s interesting about raspberries and its capability of inhibiting cancer growth has to do with a unique way they may influence how cancer cells “communicate.” One of the compounds in raspberries (ellagitannins) could actually interrupt cancer cell signaling from encouraging growth to programmed cell death (known as apoptosis).

Studies support the case that ellagitannin could influence the p53 protein and flip a switch that causes cancer cells to self-destruct.

There’s also evidence other phytonutrients in raspberries may prevent cells from ever making the move from non-cancerous to cancerous. Phytonutrients are believed to influence nuclear factor kappa B (NFkB) and this would keep cancerous cells from ever forming in the first place.

4 – May help boost metabolism: 

The fundamental principle behind sustained weight loss is burning more calories than you take in.

Most people falter in weight loss because they can’t achieve advanced calorie burning.

Raspberry consumption could boost metabolism and help you lose weight via the use of a ketone called rheosmin.

If you’re familiar with the ketogenic diet, the principle behind the weight loss most people experience has to do with their bodies switching from burning glycogen (available blood sugar) as a fuel source to burning ketones as a fuel source. When you eat raspberries in significant amounts (or take an extract of raspberry ketones) it helps keep the body in a state of ketosis.

And preliminary research says raspberry ketones could help you lose weight. Combined together with a ketogenic diet, the boost in your metabolism and the introduction of clean burning ketones could be a game changer for some.

Additionally, with 8 grams of fiber per serving, raspberries also induce satiety, or the feeling of fullness, which helps suppress the appetite hormone ghrelin and could also help you eat less.

Raspberries really are nature’s weight loss berry.

5- Help improve blood sugar levels:

Closely aligned with weight loss and weight control is blood sugar management.

Without a doubt one of the leading causes of the obesity epidemic in the Western world are related to blood sugar struggles.

Raspberries have been shown to have a positive effect on blood sugar levels.

Studies indicate there are 2 primary mechanisms at work when it comes to raspberries and blood sugar control.

One study shows how the flavonoid tiliroside in raspberries activates a hormone called adiponectin. When people struggle with blood sugar issues, adiponectin isn’t always present in the correct or amounts, or, isn’t fully functional.

By activating adiponectin, tiliroside helps give the body the needed energy to improve insulin balance, improving blood sugar and helping control fluctuations of these 2 elements in the future.

Secondly, raspberries may also block how an enzyme called alpha-glucosidase functions.

This enzyme breaks down starches in the gut and then releases them into the bloodstream.

People who struggle with blood sugar issues have an overactive alpha-glucosidase system. This causes the body to break down starches faster and more efficiently than required and leads to a flood of sugar being released into the blood and may induce postprandial hyperglycemia.

When raspberries are consumed and that alpha-glucosidase is blocked it may help to keep blood sugar levels down, and could help reduce complications associated with elevated blood sugar.

Additional (and Important) Info on Raspberries

By now you know just how healthy raspberries can be, if you eat them regularly.

I do have an important note about raspberries.

There is conclusive research showing organic raspberries are better than conventionally raised ones. I know that organic is more expensive, but that’s also why it’s a good idea to keep flash frozen ones in the freezer.

Many of the antioxidants and nutrients are at their freshest when frozen because the fruits are picked at peak ripeness and then frozen. Most raspberries sold in stores are several weeks old after being picked prematurely and then packaged and shipped to you.

Unless you can get them right from a farmer’s market, frozen may be better (and less expensive).