Why You Should Add Raspberries to Your Diet Today

Raspberries are a sweet, but tart red fruit and they are really hard to dislike. You can eat them alone or prepare them in a variety of ways. This small fruit packs a big punch in terms of health benefits. The punch is so big that you should add raspberries to your diet today. Just a single cup, or about 30 to 40 raspberries, a day can provide you with nutrients critical to your health and wellness.

Vitamin C

You already know that vitamin C plays a critical role in building up your immune system and helping you fight off illness. You probably do not know that this vitamin is also an antioxidant and necessary normal development and growth. For example, a vitamin C deficiency can lead to a condition known as scurvy. While rare in this country, it is serious. You may also get sick easily, bruise and bleed easily, have skin and hair issues, have a slowed metabolism and other health issues. Our bodies do not automatically make vitamin C and it does not store it so we have to get it from the foods we eat.

Manganese

Recently I discovered that a large majority of the adults I know have never even heard of this trace mineral. I also learned that about 37 percent of adults of America do not get enough of it everyday through their diet. You can change this by eating raspberries because they contain nearly two-thirds of the recommend daily intake. This trace mineral is necessary for normal nerve and brain function, calcium absorption, carbohydrate metabolism, blood sugar regulation and it aids in forming bones sex hormones connective tissue and blood-clotting factors. Not getting enough may lead to bone malformation, seizures, infertility and weakness.

Potassium

When you think of potassium, you probably think of bananas. Those are an excellent source, but so are raspberries. Potassium is important for all of the tissues, organs and cells to function in the body. You can have too much potassium, however, so you must be mindful about this as well. If your body is running low on potassium, you may start having muscle cramps, low energy, weakness, irregular heartbeat and stomach issues.

Magnesium

All of the body's organs require magnesium to function properly. It also plays a role in balancing the amount of potassium in the body. It is believed that most Americans do not get enough of this mineral from their diet. You can help this by eating more raspberries because they contain magnesium. True magnesium deficiencies are rare, but if you do experience it, it may cause restless leg syndrome, nausea and vomiting, low blood pressure, muscle weakness and spasm, insomnia, confusion, poor nail growth, agitation and anxiety, irritability, sleep disorders, abnormal heart rhythms, hyperventilation and in some cases, seizures.

Copper

While many do not realize it, our bodies need copper to function. It is a trace mineral necessary for energy production, iron metabolism, connective tissue formation, central nervous system function, antioxidant functions, melanin formation, nutrient interactions and regulation of gene expression. A copper deficiency is uncommon so this is probably why you have never heard of it. Anemia that does not respond to therapeutic iron supplementation, but does respond to copper supplementation is the most common symptom. Other symptoms of deficiency may include neutropenia, bone development abnormalities or osteoporosis, neurological symptoms, pigmentation loss and impaired growth.

Vitamins B2 and B3

These are two of the eight B vitamins our bodies need for life. Raspberries provide a good amount of each. These vitamins have a variety of functions, including converting carbohydrates into energy, metabolizing proteins and fats, helping with proper nervous system function and promoting healthy eyes, skin, hair and liver. A vitamin B3 (niacin) deficiency is quite rare, but if you experience it, it may cause fatigue, vomiting, indigestion, canker sores and depression. If you experience a vitamin B2 (riboflavin) deficiency, it may cause slowed growth, sores and cracks in the corners of your mouth, eye fatigue, sensitivity to light, fatigue, digestive problems, swollen magenta tongue and soreness and swelling of your throat.

Resources

WHFoods: Raspberries