Raspberry
The deciduous semi – shrub Rubus idaeus, or common Raspberry, is distributed all over the world-from Alaska and the Aleutian Islands to Hawaii. In the people, raspberry fruits are called berries, which does not correspond to their definition in the Botanical classification. From this position, the more accurate name for the raspberry fruit is "multicost".
From the list of berry crops, raspberries are distinguished by a high concentration of antioxidants that prevent damage to the body's cells and stop the aging process. This gives the right to call raspberries "berries of health and longevity".
Useful properties of raspberries
Composition and caloric content
Fresh raspberries contain (in 100 g): [1]
Calories 52 Kcal
Proteins
1.2 g
Fats
0.65 g
Carbohydrates
11.94 g
Water
85.75 g
Ash
0.46 g
Vitamins mg Minerals mg
Vitamin C 26.2 Potassium, K 151
Vitamin B4 12.3 Phosphorus, P 29
Vitamin E 0.87 Calcium, Ca 25
Vitamin B3 0.598 Magnesium, 22 Mg
Vitamin B5 0.329 Sodium, Na 1
Full complement
If you compare the amount of nutrients in fresh and frozen fruits, the difference in vitamins is not so significant, and the concentration of most minerals even increases. However, in canned raspberries, the indicators of "usefulness" fall sharply, so we can't talk about the health-improving role of raspberry jam.
The amount of useful substances in raspberries is affected by belonging to a particular variety and growing conditions, but a set of valuable biologically active substances is more or less present in all varieties. Of the mineral compounds in raspberries, there is a relatively high amount of iron, zinc, copper, and an average amount of manganese (up to 210 mg per 100 grams of raw product). Seeds contain fatty oil (according to various sources, up to 14-22%) and about 0.7 % phytosterol.
Raspberries are also known for their high content of vitamin C, the concentration of which can increase even more when the vegetation temperature decreases. In the list of organic acids, a special place is occupied by salicylic acid, thanks to which raspberries have numerous medicinal properties that have helped people maintain their health since ancient times.
Medical property
One of the key qualities of raspberries is its antioxidant activity. The combined effect of a number of adverse factors (from electromagnetic and ultraviolet radiation to radioactive and toxic pollution) leads to an excess of free radicals in the body and the oxidation of macromolecules, which disrupts the balance of the natural antioxidant system and leads to the destruction of body cells. Foods with high antioxidant activity, such as raspberries, restore this balance.
The main natural antioxidants are flavonoids, phenolic compounds, anthocyanins, vitamins C and E, carotenoids, etc.are present in all varieties of raspberries, but in different proportions. The highest antioxidant activity among Eastern European varieties are "Hercules", "Eurasia", "Golden autumn", "Ruby necklace".
Vitamin C is an essential natural antioxidant, but that's not all it matters. The name of the synthetic analog – "ascorbic acid" contains a direct indication of the relationship between vitamin C deficiency and scurvy ("scorbutus" – Latin for "scurvy"). In addition, this substance is necessary for the normal functioning of connective and bone tissue. When applied to raspberries, this is important, because one serving of berries contains approximately 25-35% of the daily intake of vitamin C.
P-active compounds belonging to the group of substances of phenolic origin, in addition to resistance to free radicals, affect the elasticity and permeability of capillaries, contribute to the elimination of toxins. Manganese – another element in the complex protection against the effects of free radicals – is also responsible for protein synthesis in the composition of enzymes. Magnesium plays an important role in the functioning of the heart muscle and, in General, in the work of the cardiovascular and nervous systems. A person needs vitamin K for normal blood clotting.
These and other useful substances create prerequisites for the manifestation of numerous medicinal properties of raspberries: bactericidal, diaphoretic, analgesic. The antipyretic effect of eating raw raspberries is relatively weak, but thanks to salicylic acid, it can also be present.
Fresh berries effectively quench thirst and activate digestion. The smell of the fruit is due to raspberry ketone, which increases the secretion of gastric juice, bile, saliva and generally stimulates the appetite. Often, the fruit is used as a sobering agent.
According to some reports, the use of raspberry ellagotanins (ellagic acid esters and sugars) at a dosage of 40 mg per day can prevent the development of cancer cells by slowing their growth or destroying them (with a high concentration of ellagotanins). Ellagic acid also has the property of lowering blood pressure.
Use in medicine
Raspberries entered the state Pharmacopoeia (collection of standards that determine the quality of medicinal substances) in 1952, but only a small part of the plant's potential is directly used in scientific medicine. Syrup, created on the basis of raspberry fruits, is included in the composition of medicines as a sweetener. And compounds that are the result of salicylic acid biosynthesis are used in ointments and powders in the treatment of skin diseases.
At the same time, raspberries are extremely widely used in folk medicine. And every corner of the world has its own special traditions of its application.
Use in folk medicine
In ancient times, healers believed that condensed raspberry juice helps to calm the bile fever and get rid of bile lichen, for urticaria and rubella – a gruel of ground leaves applied to the skin rash, and for leprosy – a decoction of shrub roots. The same decoction, if you drink it, was supposed to help with wet ulcers, lichen, get rid of itching and spots on the skin.
Modern folk medicine also uses not only raspberry fruits, but also leaves, flowers, young shoots and roots as raw materials for medicines. Indications for use are various diseases:
Diseases of the respiratory tract (where raspberries act as a diaphoretic, antipyretic and expectorant). Folk doctors prescribe both raw fruits, and tea based on raspberry leaves, and a drink made from brewed raspberry shoots. To prepare this medicine, cuttings are dried, crushed (ground), and then brewed like tea for about 3 minutes, pouring 1 tablespoon of powder with 2 glasses of hot water.
Diarrhea, diarrhea, dysentery. For these diseases, a decoction of raspberry branches is recommended (1 glass three times a day), an infusion of leaves and branches (as an astringent), tea from dried berries.
Skin diseases: inflammation, acne. For treatment, a warm infusion of raspberry flowers or leaves is used (in the proportion of one to twenty). A tampon moistened with the prepared liquid is applied three times to the affected areas at intervals of several minutes. The course includes 20 procedures, with the first 10 cycles performed daily, and the remaining 10 – every other day. In addition, the treatment uses an ointment made from the juice of leaves and butter, as well as an infusion of leaves in olive oil.
Vascular and blood diseases. When hemorrhoid veins are inflamed, a decoction of raspberry roots or flowers is used. When hemorrhage – a decoction of the leaves. Also, raspberry leaves in decoctions and infusions are used by folk doctors as an anti-sclerotic agent that improves the condition of blood vessels.
Violations of reproductive functions. As the main component, raspberries are part of the fees that help men with sexual impotence, and women with infertility. Eastern Slavic healers gave women a decoction of raspberry roots or flowers for excessive and atypical discharge from the genitals (whites).
In folk medicine, there are certain traditions due to the specifics of a particular region. Historically, Ukrainian healers used raspberry berries, leaves and flowers for rheumatic pains and fever, Czech healers treated disorders of the gastrointestinal tract with raspberries, and Belarusian healers treated colds.
Broths
In decoctions, branches and leaves are most often used, less often – flowers and roots of the raspberry Bush. The resulting remedy, due to its expectorant effect, is recommended for use in the treatment of cough, bronchitis, laryngitis, asthma, and due to its astringent properties – for diarrhea, intestinal inflammation, hemorrhoids.
For example, to prepare a decoction of raspberry branches, the washed stems are first filled with boiling water, and then kept on low heat for about an hour until the water turns a reddish hue. Apply a decoction in the cooled form. The finished product is not stored for a long time. Even in the refrigerator, it is kept no more than a day.
There is another way to prepare decoctions, when the washed branches or leaves are first boiled (usually about 10 minutes), and then kept in cooling water for another 0.5-1 hour. A similar method is most often used when creating a decoction of berries and flowers. In this case, raspberries are taken in the proportion of 30 berries per glass of water, and flowers – 20 grams per glass (200 ml).
Before the appearance of hair dyes, a decoction of raspberry leaves with potash was used to dye hair in a dark color. Now in its pure form, such a decoction is often rinsed out after washing to stimulate growth and strengthen them.
From the list of berry crops, raspberries are distinguished by a high concentration of antioxidants that prevent damage to the body's cells and stop the aging process. This gives the right to call raspberries "berries of health and longevity".
Useful properties of raspberries
Composition and caloric content
Fresh raspberries contain (in 100 g): [1]
Calories 52 Kcal
Proteins
1.2 g
Fats
0.65 g
Carbohydrates
11.94 g
Water
85.75 g
Ash
0.46 g
Vitamins mg Minerals mg
Vitamin C 26.2 Potassium, K 151
Vitamin B4 12.3 Phosphorus, P 29
Vitamin E 0.87 Calcium, Ca 25
Vitamin B3 0.598 Magnesium, 22 Mg
Vitamin B5 0.329 Sodium, Na 1
Full complement
If you compare the amount of nutrients in fresh and frozen fruits, the difference in vitamins is not so significant, and the concentration of most minerals even increases. However, in canned raspberries, the indicators of "usefulness" fall sharply, so we can't talk about the health-improving role of raspberry jam.
The amount of useful substances in raspberries is affected by belonging to a particular variety and growing conditions, but a set of valuable biologically active substances is more or less present in all varieties. Of the mineral compounds in raspberries, there is a relatively high amount of iron, zinc, copper, and an average amount of manganese (up to 210 mg per 100 grams of raw product). Seeds contain fatty oil (according to various sources, up to 14-22%) and about 0.7 % phytosterol.
Raspberries are also known for their high content of vitamin C, the concentration of which can increase even more when the vegetation temperature decreases. In the list of organic acids, a special place is occupied by salicylic acid, thanks to which raspberries have numerous medicinal properties that have helped people maintain their health since ancient times.
Medical property
One of the key qualities of raspberries is its antioxidant activity. The combined effect of a number of adverse factors (from electromagnetic and ultraviolet radiation to radioactive and toxic pollution) leads to an excess of free radicals in the body and the oxidation of macromolecules, which disrupts the balance of the natural antioxidant system and leads to the destruction of body cells. Foods with high antioxidant activity, such as raspberries, restore this balance.
The main natural antioxidants are flavonoids, phenolic compounds, anthocyanins, vitamins C and E, carotenoids, etc.are present in all varieties of raspberries, but in different proportions. The highest antioxidant activity among Eastern European varieties are "Hercules", "Eurasia", "Golden autumn", "Ruby necklace".
Vitamin C is an essential natural antioxidant, but that's not all it matters. The name of the synthetic analog – "ascorbic acid" contains a direct indication of the relationship between vitamin C deficiency and scurvy ("scorbutus" – Latin for "scurvy"). In addition, this substance is necessary for the normal functioning of connective and bone tissue. When applied to raspberries, this is important, because one serving of berries contains approximately 25-35% of the daily intake of vitamin C.
P-active compounds belonging to the group of substances of phenolic origin, in addition to resistance to free radicals, affect the elasticity and permeability of capillaries, contribute to the elimination of toxins. Manganese – another element in the complex protection against the effects of free radicals – is also responsible for protein synthesis in the composition of enzymes. Magnesium plays an important role in the functioning of the heart muscle and, in General, in the work of the cardiovascular and nervous systems. A person needs vitamin K for normal blood clotting.
These and other useful substances create prerequisites for the manifestation of numerous medicinal properties of raspberries: bactericidal, diaphoretic, analgesic. The antipyretic effect of eating raw raspberries is relatively weak, but thanks to salicylic acid, it can also be present.
Fresh berries effectively quench thirst and activate digestion. The smell of the fruit is due to raspberry ketone, which increases the secretion of gastric juice, bile, saliva and generally stimulates the appetite. Often, the fruit is used as a sobering agent.
According to some reports, the use of raspberry ellagotanins (ellagic acid esters and sugars) at a dosage of 40 mg per day can prevent the development of cancer cells by slowing their growth or destroying them (with a high concentration of ellagotanins). Ellagic acid also has the property of lowering blood pressure.
Use in medicine
Raspberries entered the state Pharmacopoeia (collection of standards that determine the quality of medicinal substances) in 1952, but only a small part of the plant's potential is directly used in scientific medicine. Syrup, created on the basis of raspberry fruits, is included in the composition of medicines as a sweetener. And compounds that are the result of salicylic acid biosynthesis are used in ointments and powders in the treatment of skin diseases.
At the same time, raspberries are extremely widely used in folk medicine. And every corner of the world has its own special traditions of its application.
Use in folk medicine
In ancient times, healers believed that condensed raspberry juice helps to calm the bile fever and get rid of bile lichen, for urticaria and rubella – a gruel of ground leaves applied to the skin rash, and for leprosy – a decoction of shrub roots. The same decoction, if you drink it, was supposed to help with wet ulcers, lichen, get rid of itching and spots on the skin.
Modern folk medicine also uses not only raspberry fruits, but also leaves, flowers, young shoots and roots as raw materials for medicines. Indications for use are various diseases:
Diseases of the respiratory tract (where raspberries act as a diaphoretic, antipyretic and expectorant). Folk doctors prescribe both raw fruits, and tea based on raspberry leaves, and a drink made from brewed raspberry shoots. To prepare this medicine, cuttings are dried, crushed (ground), and then brewed like tea for about 3 minutes, pouring 1 tablespoon of powder with 2 glasses of hot water.
Diarrhea, diarrhea, dysentery. For these diseases, a decoction of raspberry branches is recommended (1 glass three times a day), an infusion of leaves and branches (as an astringent), tea from dried berries.
Skin diseases: inflammation, acne. For treatment, a warm infusion of raspberry flowers or leaves is used (in the proportion of one to twenty). A tampon moistened with the prepared liquid is applied three times to the affected areas at intervals of several minutes. The course includes 20 procedures, with the first 10 cycles performed daily, and the remaining 10 – every other day. In addition, the treatment uses an ointment made from the juice of leaves and butter, as well as an infusion of leaves in olive oil.
Vascular and blood diseases. When hemorrhoid veins are inflamed, a decoction of raspberry roots or flowers is used. When hemorrhage – a decoction of the leaves. Also, raspberry leaves in decoctions and infusions are used by folk doctors as an anti-sclerotic agent that improves the condition of blood vessels.
Violations of reproductive functions. As the main component, raspberries are part of the fees that help men with sexual impotence, and women with infertility. Eastern Slavic healers gave women a decoction of raspberry roots or flowers for excessive and atypical discharge from the genitals (whites).
In folk medicine, there are certain traditions due to the specifics of a particular region. Historically, Ukrainian healers used raspberry berries, leaves and flowers for rheumatic pains and fever, Czech healers treated disorders of the gastrointestinal tract with raspberries, and Belarusian healers treated colds.
Broths
In decoctions, branches and leaves are most often used, less often – flowers and roots of the raspberry Bush. The resulting remedy, due to its expectorant effect, is recommended for use in the treatment of cough, bronchitis, laryngitis, asthma, and due to its astringent properties – for diarrhea, intestinal inflammation, hemorrhoids.
For example, to prepare a decoction of raspberry branches, the washed stems are first filled with boiling water, and then kept on low heat for about an hour until the water turns a reddish hue. Apply a decoction in the cooled form. The finished product is not stored for a long time. Even in the refrigerator, it is kept no more than a day.
There is another way to prepare decoctions, when the washed branches or leaves are first boiled (usually about 10 minutes), and then kept in cooling water for another 0.5-1 hour. A similar method is most often used when creating a decoction of berries and flowers. In this case, raspberries are taken in the proportion of 30 berries per glass of water, and flowers – 20 grams per glass (200 ml).
Before the appearance of hair dyes, a decoction of raspberry leaves with potash was used to dye hair in a dark color. Now in its pure form, such a decoction is often rinsed out after washing to stimulate growth and strengthen them.