Summer fruit is always a treat, but the health and beauty benefits of raspberries are a true gift. Not only are they deliciously sweet and tart, but they’re full of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants that are essential for our wellbeing. In fact, many health experts consider raspberries a nutritional powerhouse—just one cup of red raspberries contains a staggering 54% of the daily recommended intake of vitamin C, 41% of the recommended daily intake of manganese, and 8 grams of fiber—all of which contribute to maintaining the vitality of the body, mind, skin, hair, and more.
Raspberry girl summer
It should come as no surprise that raspberries actually belong to the rose family—they do seem to exude a quintessential blend of beauty and romance, after all. They often grow wild in the woods and are best picked during the lush summer months from June to September, when they ripen into gorgeous hues of crimson, gold, purple, or black—depending on the variety, of course.
Ancient Greeks and Romans were fond of raspberries, too. They called them “Bramble of Mount Ida” because they grew on the highest mountain on Crete, which was known as the mythological birthplace of the god Zeus. Throughout the centuries, wild raspberries have been used as a remedy for everything from soothing stomach aches to easing nausea to warding off evil spirits.
The beauty benefits of raspberries
As mentioned, raspberries have plenty of nutritional properties that benefit our bodies inside and out. They are especially high in vitamin C—a known collagen-builder—and also contain skin-boosting vitamin E, folate, vitamin K, and several B vitamins. They are a great plant-based source of heart-healthy (and hair-healthy!) omega-3 fatty acids as well as the minerals potassium, copper, iron, and manganese. And, just in case you were wondering, potassium is essential for heart function, while manganese helps regulate blood sugar.
They’re also extremely high in antioxidants, which are essential for protecting cells from the oxidative damage incurred by free radicals—which is super important for guarding against the evidence of aging as well as protecting against a host of diseases including heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and cancer. As the integrative health doctor Andrew Weil points out, raspberries “contain ellagitannins, natural health-protective compounds that appear to have potent anti-cancer activity; have 50% more antioxidant potential than strawberries; and place in the top 15 of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition’s best antioxidant sources.”
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