Where do red raspberries grow and what characteristics do the berries have?

Reds grow wild in temperate zones from the south-central US to the near arctic latitudes of northern Canada and are primarily cultivated in the northern states of the US, particularly Oregon and southern Canada. Raspberries grow on every continent except Antarctica (understandably) and Australia. Approximately 1 million pounds of red raspberries are commercially harvested worldwide, with Russia, the US and Poland together contributing almost half of the total.

The genus Rubus contains more than 740 species as evergreen, deciduous, woody shrubs with long vines (“brambles”) covered with thorns. Rubus also includes roses and other important fruits, such as strawberries, apples, pears, and peaches.

What do raspberries have in common with apples and strawberries?

At first glance, it can be difficult to find common features between an apple and a strawberry or red raspberry. Not only are the edible fruits very different, but there is also a great disparity between the sizes and structures of the plant itself and its fruit. However, one important botanical similarity is the structure of the flower, as all of these fruit-bearing plants typically have 5-7 white/pinkish petals around a central cluster of yellow stamens.

What is a “bramble” and is it the same as a “reed”?

A bramble is any plant belonging to the genus Rubus, of which the best known and most enjoyed are the red or black raspberry and the blackberry, each with numerous hybrids. There are also some hybrids between the red raspberry and the blackberry, such as boysen berries and logan berries.

Saying “bramble” is just a quick way of saying “raspberries, blackberries, and berry plants related to thorny vines.” Mainly in Oregon, these fruits are also called “caneberries” because they grow on woody stems called canes.

What do consumers like most about red raspberries?

Red raspberries are a healthy addition to everyone’s diet. This fruit has a unique delicious flavor and is packed with vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber. Possibly the most promising benefit of consuming red raspberries is their substantial amount of ellagic acid, a phenolic antioxidant compound known to be a powerful anti-cancer compound. Clinical tests show that ellagic acid can inhibit the growth of cancer cells.

Nutritious raspberries make a great addition to recipes or as a fresh, healthy snack by the handful. Raspberries don’t have to be fresh to be nutritious, as frozen and canned berries retain most of the qualities of fresh fruit.

Flash freezing, which is used to make IQF (Immediately Frozen) red raspberries, helps lock in plant nutrients and chemicals immediately after harvest and provides healthier fruit.

Red raspberry seed oil is popular as a skin moisturizer as it is high in vitamin C, alpha-linolenic acid (omega-3 fatty acid), and linoleic acid (omega-6 fatty acid). The oil also has powerful sun blocking properties (SPF above 25).

Red raspberry leaves score high in antioxidant tests and are popular in tea blends, providing an exceptional source of antioxidant tannins for the beverage.

What nutrients stand out in the red raspberry?
Red raspberries are one of the richest sources in the plant world of vitamin C (30 mg per 1-cup serving, about 50% of the daily value), manganese (about 60% of the daily value), and dietary fiber (20% of the daily value). by weight or 30% of the daily value). The berry is also loaded with vitamin A, B vitamins 1-3, iron, calcium, and potassium.

Reds rank near the top of all fruits for antioxidant strength, particularly due to their dense content of ellagic acid (from elagotannins), quercetin, gallic acid, anthocyanins, cyanidins, pelargonidins, catechins, kaempferol, and salicylic acid. All of these are phenolic antioxidants with promising health benefits.

What is the antioxidant strength of red raspberries?

Due to their rich content of antioxidant vitamins A and C and the phenols mentioned above, red raspberries have an ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) value of approximately 4,900 per 100 grams, making them one of the ORAC fruits best ranked. Blueberries and wild blueberries have about 9,000 ORAC units, and apples average 2,800.

What does medical research say about the health properties of red raspberries?

The following anti-disease properties have been isolated in experimental models. Although there are no clinical studies to date demonstrating these effects in humans, medical research shows a likely benefit of regular consumption of red raspberries against:

• Inflammation

• Bread

• Cancer

• Cardiovascular disease

• Diabetes

• allergies

• Age-related cognitive decline

• Vision degeneration with aging

Reading

* US National Library of Medicine, PubMed, http://pubmed.gov

* University of Georgia on Rubus species, [http://www.uga.edu/fruit/rubus.htm]

* Oregon Raspberry and Blackberry Commission, http://www.oregon-berries.com

*Washington Raspberry Commission, http://www.red-raspberry.org/

* Wikipedia on raspberries, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raspberry

* World’s Healthiest Foods in Raspberries, http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=39

Copyright 2006 Berry Health Inc.