Tag Archives: Heart disease

03 Mar

Health Benefits of Tomato Juice

You may already have heard tomato juice described as a “super food” but you may not know exactly why it was placed in this healthy food category. The health benefits of tomato juice are numerous and range from cancer fighting properties to heart and bone health. One look at the list of vitamins and minerals can help you understand just how beneficial this juice can be for the human body. With vitamins C, A, K, E, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6 and the minerals potassium, magnesium, iron and phosphorus; along with protein, fiber and lycopene, it’s easy to see that tomato juice can be very beneficial for your overall health.

The Antioxidant Lycopene

Lycopene is a very unique antioxidant that is found to be abundant in tomato juice. It helps the human body rid itself of free radicals that damage your cells. Because of this ability to defend your cells, lycopene has been proven to help your body prevent nearly every type of cancer by flushing out carcinogens while also defending your body against atherosclerosis, heart disease, and even heart attacks. It is even believed by many scientists that this super antioxidant can help to prevent osteoporosis by encouraging bone health. Also, it has been shown that lycopene can reverse skin damage from ultraviolet light because of its strong antioxidant properties.

Health benefits of tomato juice

Lower Blood Pressure and Cholesterol

If you are one of the many people suffering from high blood pressure or an increase in LDL (bad) cholesterol, then you may want to start drinking more tomato juice. The good source of potassium you get in a cup of tomato juice helps regulate blood pressure. The fiber and vitamin B3 in this juice will help to lower bad cholesterol.

Prevent Heart Attacks and Stroke

Potassium also helps your heart (as well as the other muscles in your body) to function properly, which can prevent a heart attack. At the same time, there are compounds called platelet factors that help to prevent blood clots. This can also prevent heart attacks and even strokes. The vitamin B6 helps breakdown homocystene, a compound that damages your blood vessels, keeping your heart and major blood vessels healthy.

Increase Bone and Joint Health

I mentioned earlier about lycopene protecting bones and keeping them healthy. The Vitamin C in tomato juice also keeps bones and teeth healthy. There are many great antioxidants in tomatoes that help defend your bones against free radicals. A recent scientific study showed that taking tomatoes completely out of someone’s diet actually became detrimental to their bone density.

Tomato Juice Will Boost Your Immune System

Of course with the excellent source of vitamin C, you probably already realize tomatoes are good for your immune system. The antioxidants and vitamin A are also good for boosting your immune system. The B vitamins and amino acids also help your immune system because they are important for building those immune system cells. With a healthy immune system you are less likely to become ill and, if you do get sick, you will fight it off much more quickly.

Other Health Benefits Of Tomato Juice

Tomato juice has been shown to help prevent certain cases of Alzheimer’s disease possibly due to the rich source of antioxidants. Tomatoes also seem to help people manage their diabetes better and even reduce obesity. In animal studies, consuming tomato juice appears to prevent emphysema, probably because of the great source of antioxidants protecting the lungs. On top of these benefits the B vitamins in tomato juice can give you more energy, improve your memory and make you feel better overall.

Every day scientists are uncovering more health benefits of this super food and, although many more disease preventions are associated with the tomato, it is not yet understood how the preventive properties work. More research is being conducted to affirm and determine the true health potential of this amazing fruit. It is like a tasty wonder drug with no negative side effects.

26 Feb

Guava Juice Side Effects:Can You Drink Too Much of It?

With all of the health benefits of guava juice, one might wonder whether there are any significant negative guava juice side effects. Is there such a thing as too much guava juice?

Evidence suggests that dangerous guava juice side effects will occur only in two special cases. These are relevant to individuals taking heart medications and those who are monitor their blood sugar, such as people who are diabetic.

Side Effects for People with Heart Problems

Some studies have shown that drinking guava juice in large quantities could result in negative side effects for individuals who are taking heart medications. This seems to occur due to guava’s potential to slow one’s heart rate. For this reason, people with heart conditions should consult their physicians before consuming guava juice.

guava juice side effects

Effects on Individuals with Blood Sugar Issues

Guava juice side effects can include the lowering of blood sugar in the bloodstream. This could result in a medical complication for people who are hypoglycemic or have other issues related to blood sugar levels. These individuals should consult their doctors about the advisability of drinking guava juice.

Safety of Guava Juice for People Without Medical Conditions

Studies have reported no particular ill effects of consuming guava juice by individuals who do not have a heart condition or blood sugar condition such as diabetes. As with all juices, there is the potential for gastrointestinal effects when consuming large quantities. However, no negative effects should be expected when consuming guava juice in moderation.

16 Feb

5 Health Benefits of Banana Juice

Whether you’re trying to lose weight or just have a healthier diet, banana juice has many health benefits that will get you to your goal. Bananas are often called a perfect food, and there are many reasons for that. Bananas are packed with vitamins and low in fat. While the health benefits of bananas could fill a list 20 pages long, here are five major health benefits to choosing banana juice the next time you’re thirsty.

Heart Health

Bananas are both high in potassium and low in salt, which makes them a power food for people concerned about heart disease or their blood pressure. Potassium is an important part of a healthy heart, and low levels have been linked to heart disease. Since most Americans aren’t getting their recommended daily amount of potassium, it puts them at risk for heart problems. One medium banana provides about 10% of the potassium you need in a day, so drinking banana juice a few times a day can help you hit your daily goal of 4 grams of potassium a day. In fact, the USDA feels so strongly about the connection between bananas and a healthy heart that they endorse bananas as a heart healthy food.

Bananas

Mood Elevation

There are a million causes of stress in your life, and it can leave you feeling sad or overwhelmed at times. Next time you feel this way, reach for a glass of banana juice. Bananas are a natural source of tryptophan, which helps the body produce serotonin. Serotonin calms you and even has a slight tranquilizing effect. Bananas also contain large amounts of vitamin B6, which regulates your mood and is an important vitamin to help your body convert tryptophan to serotonin. Since your body doesn’t make tryptophan on its own, it’s important to get it through your diet, and drinking a glass of banana juice is one of the most simple and delicious ways to do that.

Diet Assistance

The high fiber of bananas make banana juice a great choice for you if you’re trying to get more fiber in your diet, especially if you’re trying to reach a weight loss goal. One medium banana gives you 16% of the daily fiber you need. That’s around the same amount of fiber as is in a fiber supplement, without the chalky aftertaste. Fiber is an important part of a healthy diet, and helps you lose weight, since it keeps you feeling full longer. Banana juice can be an important part of your diet, whether you’re trying to get healthy or achieve a weight loss goal.

Health benefits of banana juice

Stomach Cure-All

Another benefit of fiber is helping regulate your digestive system. Whether you’re suffering from constipation, diarrhea or just indigestion, banana juice can help get you feeling back to normal. Mothers have long known the benefits of bananas for sufferers of the stomach flu, as a part of the BRAT (bananas, rice, applesauce and toast) diet. Bananas also help to regulate stomach acid, and can help with morning sickness, indigestion and even ulcers.

A Natural Energy Drink

Banana juice is a great source of natural sugars, which provide a quick pick me up, and the fiber content means a sustained energy boost. The protein in bananas helps your heart and muscles work during exertion, and there’s no fat in a banana. That makes banana juice a perfect drink before you work out or in any situation where you need energy that comes on quick, stays for a while, and leaves you feeling great.

With all the chemicals, additives and supplements out there designed to replace a healthy diet, it’s easy to ignore the most simple solutions. A glass of banana juice is a quick, easy, healthy answer to a lot of health problems. Even if you’re just looking for a delicious drink, banana juice together with it’s health benefits is one choice you can make that doesn’t have a downside.

09 Feb

Health Benefits of Mangosteen Juice – Anti Inflammatory, Antibacterial, Anti-fungal Properties And More

The mangosteen fruit is of Asian origin. In spite of a similar name, it is unrelated to the mango. It is a small purple tropical fruit with a thick rind (sometimes called the pericarp). It has long been used by traditional Eastern medecine for its many health benefits, especially in Thailand. It is extremely high in xanthones, a powerful class of antioxidants. It contains more than twenty different xanthones. The health benefits of this delicious fruit can be had conveniently by drinking the juice. Below is a list of some of the known health benefits of the mangosteen fruit and its juice.

It Helps Prevent Cancer

Like any food high in antioxidants, it helps protect the body against free radicals and thereby helps reduce the risk of developing cancer. Nutrient dense foods rich in natural fiber are also highly recommended as cancer fighting foods. This fruit certainly qualifies.

Mangosteen Juice Works As An Anti-Inflammatory

This property is known to help relieve the symptoms of inflammatory conditions like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. It does so without the harsh side effects typical of prescription anti-inflammatory drugs. Taking prescription drugs often leads to other problems which then get treated with additional prescription drugs. And round and round we go. If you can find a natural, nutrition based remedy for your symptoms, you can avoid or at least reduce this vicious cycle.

Mangosteen

Antiviral Properties

It can help protect against or even kill viral infections, such as the flu or common cold. This is a type of infection for which modern Western medecine has very few effective treatments and tends to view as largely untreatable.

Antibacterial Properties Of Mangosteen Juice

It helps protect against and even kill bacterial infections, which is the type of infection for which harsh antibiotics are typically prescribed. Unlike prescription antibiotics, this fruit dies not destroy your gut ecology or cause diarrhea. In fact, it helps treat diarrhea and helps support good gut health.

Antifungal Properties

Another health benefit of mangosteen juice is is the fact that it helps protect against and even kill fungal infections, a class of infection that is notoriously hard to effectively treat. Most conventional Western treatments for fungal infections are very toxic and may still not get a fungal infection adequately under control.

Mangosteen Juice Lower Levels Of LDL Cholesterol

Mangosteen juice helps prevent the build up of plaque in the blood vessels, thus slowing the progression of atherosclerosis.

Helps protect against heart disease

It does this in part by helping to prevent atherosclerosis. But it also is more generally beneficial to heart health. Since heart disease can be very deadly, it is extremely important to be proactive and try to avoid developing it.

It helps promote healthy weight loss

Although many people would like to shed a few pounds, it is not worth destroying your baseline health in the process. The safe, sane way to try to achieve an optimal healthy weight is by consuming extremely nutrient dense “super foods”. With the rich abundance of xanthones found in mangosteen, this fruit can certainly be called a “super food”.

It helps reduce fever

This is a quality it shares with some other exotic fruits. One reason fruits help reduce fever is because they are typically a more effective means to combat dehydration than plain water. Simply staying adequately hydrated can help reduce a fever by a full degree, which is sometimes enough by itself to break a fever. However it likely also helps reduce fever because ut helps combat a number of infections. In most cases, fever is the body’s attempt to kill infection. If you find another means to effectively kill infection, that can break a fever.

Mangosteen Juice  Helps Stabilize Blood Sugar Levels

Ironically, some of the same foods which help protect against diabetes (high blood sugar) also help protect against hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). They do this by helping to stabilize the blood sugar. Foods rich in certain forms of natural fiber share this property and mangosteen is one of them.

These were the most well known and common health benefits if mangosteen juice.

04 Feb

Health Benefits Of Papaya Juice

Papaya is the most famous fruit of the tropics. It’s also a highly beneficial fruit. Juice made from the papaya is loaded with disease-fighting enzymes and nutrients that have people buzzing. It’s believed that papaya juice offers many health benefits, from aiding heart health to offering a rare enzyme that prevents and fights cancer.

In its most simple terms, juice made from papaya is packed with proteolytic enzymes. These helpful chemicals aid the stomach in digesting protein. A small glass of papaya juice before eating a burger or a bucket of chicken will help the stomach process that dinner. The enzyme papain, which is extracted from papaya, is used in meat tenderizers.

 

A Fountain of Youth

Papaya juice

Papaya juice also restores normal bacteria in the stomach which helps digestion. It prevents bloating and indigestion.

Food researchers believe that papaya juice has rejuvenation properties. Call it Ponce de Leon’s fountain of youth in a glass.

The belief is that papaya juice helps the body with digestion. Proper digestion helps release all the good vitamins and nutrients that the body needs. When the body has use of all these vitamins, enzymes and nutrients, people feel and look better. That in itself is a strong reason to add papaya juice to a daily diet regimen.

Papaya Lycopene Fights Cancer

This juice is loaded with antioxidants that get rid of free radicals and prevent cancer. The fiber in a glass of papaya juice will bind toxins that cause cancer. Papaya juice has the rare antioxidant lycopene which has a quality to fight and prevent cancer.

Good For Heart Health

Inside, the papaya is colored yellow or orange. This deep and rich color is an indication of high amounts of beta carotene. A four ounce glass of papaya juice is packed with 82 mg of vitamin C.

Papaya juice is packed with fiber, magnesium, potassium and pantothenic acid, which help improve cardiovascular health.

The oxidation of cholesterol is stopped by these elements, preventing cholesterol from sticking to artery walls and causing high blood pressure, strokes and heart attacks. The enzyme carpain is found in papaya, and that’s good for the heart.

Papaya Enzymes Relieve Inflammation

The enzymes chymopapain and papain act as anti-inflammatory agents and lessen inflammation in the body. Both internal and external inflammation are reduced by drinking papaya juice. This is good news for people who suffer from inflammatory diseases like osteoarthritis, asthma and rheumatoid arthritis. Papaya juice can ease inflamed joints and provide relief from pain.

Improves the Immune System

These same enzymes weaken invading viruses and bacteria in the body, making them more susceptible to attack and elimination by the body’s defensive systems.

Vitamins A and C are found in great amounts in papaya juice and act as aids to the body’s immune system. This helps to prevent flu and colds.

Helps Vision

These vitamins A and C, along with vitamin E, create an antioxidant that may prevent vision loss. As people age, macular degeneration sets in as a degenerative disease. Three servings of papaya juice daily can help maintain good vision.

Other health benefits of papaya juice include relief from edema and urinary tract problems. The nutrients in papaya improve milk flow for lactating mothers. Skin problems, such as corns, warts, acne and pimples, are helped. Male fertility is enhanced with the aginine found in papaya juice.

Here’s a great way to drink a glass of healthy papaya juice. Take one cup of chopped papaya, one-half cup of cold water and four ice cubes, and throw it all in a blender. Mix the blend until it’s thick and smooth. Pour it into a glass, and add a teaspoon of honey. Add a pinch of cinnamon for good effect. Mix well and drink.

28 Jan

Which Fruit Has The Most Potassium?

What is Potassium?

Potassium is a mineral that can be found in many different types of foods we eat. It can be found in bananas, cantaloupe, cucumbers, lima beans, tomatoes, potatoes, yam, spinach, papaya, lentils, kidney beans and swiss chard. Potassium helps the nerves in the body and muscles to function properly and balances the electrolytes and acids in the body as well. Potassium is a necessary mineral that must be consumed in order for our bodies to stay healthy and our organs to function properly. Around 4,700 mg of potassium should be consumed each day. Children under the age of ten need around less than 2,000 mg of potassium per day.

Potassium in Our Body

Potassium is not just a mineral but an electrolyte. It dissolves in water easily and that is why it is necessary for the body. Potassium travels throughout the body helping muscles to contract, blood pressure to stay low, the heart to pump and nerves to function properly. Potassium can be found in meat, fish, fruits and vegetables. People only get around 2,000 mg of potassium a day, which is not enough. However, too much potassium is called hyperkalemia. The kidneys are responsible for getting rid of excess vitamins or minerals, which usually is not a problem for some people; however, other people may suffer heart problems if they consume too much potassium. Lack of potassium is called hypokalemia. This can lead to weakness, muscle cramps, heart problems and other serious health issues.

Overall, it is very important that people eat a well-balanced meal so that they consume an adequate amount of potassium and other vitamins and minerals. Not enough or too much potassium can cause health problems. Potassium is crucial to the proper function of the body’s nerves, muscles and heart.

Durian health benefits

Top Fruits For Potassium Content

The amounts of Potassium are given for 100g of each fruit.

1 Durian 436,00 mg
2 Guava 417,00 mg
3 Blackcurrant 361,00 mg
4 Banana 358,00 mg
5 Pumpkin 340,00 mg
6 Kiwi 312,00 mg
7 Jackfruit 303,00 mg
8 Elderberry 280,00 mg
9 Passion Fruit 278,00 mg
10 Redcurrant 275,00 mg
11 Melon (Cantaloupe) 267,00 mg
12 Apricot 259,00 mg
13 Papaya 257,00 mg
14 Carrot 237,00 mg
15 Tomato 237,00 mg
16 Pomegranate 236,00 mg
17 Fig 232,00 mg
18 Cherry (sweet) 222,00 mg
19 Gooseberry 198,00 mg
20 Mulberry 194,00 mg
21 Grape 192,00 mg
22 Peach 190,00 mg
23 Orange 181,00 mg
24 Lychee 171,00 mg
25 Tangerine 166,00 mg
26 Blackberry 162,00 mg
27 Plum 157,00 mg
28 Mango 156,00 mg
29 Strawberry 153,00 mg
30 Raspberry 151,00 mg
31 Cucumber 147,00 mg
32 Lemon 138,00 mg
33 Grapefruit 135,00 mg
34 Pear 121,00 mg
35 Watermelon 112,00 mg
36 Apple 107,00 mg
37 Lime 102,00 mg
38 Cranberry 85,00 mg
39 Blueberry 77,00 mg
40 Mangosteen 48,00 mg
41 Pineapple 30,50 mg

14 Dec

The Many Health Benefits of Blackberry Juice

Blackberries are not only delicious but they also offer a multitude of health benefits for the health conscious consumer. These small dark berries offer a variety of vitamins and nutrients that can help to boost your energy levels in addition to a host of other nutritional benefits. A great way to enjoy these benefits is by drinking blackberry juice. Health benefits of blackberry juice will set you on your way to improved health and increased vitality.

Blackberries make a thick, dark and savory juice that is almost wine like in flavor. Large quantities of berries are needed to make just a small amount of juice. In fact, it can take almost three and half pounds of berries to make up only a quart of blackberry juice. The juice can be watered down for a slightly less intense flavor. It can also be used in a variety of different ways such as in the making of black berry pies, preserves, smoothies, ice cream, lemonade and even liquors for a distinctive, tart and decadent flavoring. The health benefits of blackberry juice can best be received either through drinking the juice directly or eating the whole fruit.

Blackberry for blackberry juice

Antioxidants

Blackberry juice has a variety of health benefits which can help to increase overall health. One of the main benefits of blackberry juice is its antioxidant properties which aid in fighting free radical cells which occur sporadically throughout the body. By preventing these free radicals from taking over and affecting otherwise healthy cells within the body, the antioxidant properties are able to aid in the prevention of potential cancer causing cells. Blackberry juice has one of the most powerful antioxidant properties among fruits.

Rich In Vitamin A and C,  Calcium, Potassium, Phosphorous and Iron

In addition to its antioxidant benefits, black berry juice has a wealth of vitamins such as vitamins A and C. Blackberry juice is also rich in calcium, potassium, phosphorous and iron. The blackberry fruit has been used for thousands of years for daily ailments as well as several illnesses which can occurr in the body. Some of the ailments for which blackberry juice has been used include whooping cough, stomach illnesses, ulcers, gout, diarrhea, nausea, venom bites and sore throat. Black berries have also been used to help bring down a fever and treat bowel problems. This is an excellent juice to drink during the colder months when colds and flus are common. Its antioxidant properties combined with its health benefits for sore throats and fever make this juice an effective natural remedy.

Anthocyanin and Ellagic Acid

Blackberry juice has an almost endless list of beneficial properties. Its health boosting effects have been used in treating many ailments as well as preventing new ones from occurring. Blackberries are high in a pigment called anthocyanin and ellagic acid which are powerful antioxidants that help to fight toxicity in the body and prevent cancer and other diseases.

Phytoestrogen

Blackberries also have a high amount of plant estrogen which is called phytoestrogen. This compound is known to play an integral role in the prevention of cervical cancer as well as breast cancer.

Health benefits if blackberries and blackberry juice

Blackberry Juice And Premature Aging

Blackberry juice is a powerful health promoting beverage which can even combat the signs of aging through its high antioxidant properties. The antioxidants in blackberries work to eliminate the toxic cells which damage DNA and lead to signs of premature aging. Blackberries also contain high levels of tannin which works to tighten tissue in the body.

Health Benefits of Blackberry Juice – Inflammations and Cholesterol

Blackberries help to combat hemorrhoids, diarrhea and reduce intestinal inflammations. The health benefits of blackberry juice also include the reduction of cholesterol. Salicylate which is found in blackberries is also the same substance added to aspirin which is known to combat heart disease and cholesterol. Blackberries also work to strengthen blood vessels, protect eyesight and combat heart disease.

The health benefits of blackberry juice are numerous and have a far reaching effect on the human body. Consuming this savory juice is one of the best things you can do for your body. Its medicinal properties have been used for thousands of years to treat illnesses and aid in the prevention of cancer causing cells. Blackberries are among the top ten fruits with strong antioxidant powers that have been well proven to aid the human body in a myriad of ways.

12 Dec

4 Top Health Benefits of Grape Juice

Grape juice is a delicious and inexpensive alternative to orange or apple juice to have with your morning cereal. However, what you might not realize is that by drinking red or purple grape juice, you’re possibly ingesting one of the most heart-healthy beverages on the planet. Grape juice has tons of positive benefits for your body including benefiting your heart health, blood pressure and even slowing down your body’s aging process. Here you will find four main health benefits of grape juice:

Grapes

Heart Health

Red wine has long been praised for its heart benefits, including its ability to lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, reduce the incidence of blood clots, lower blood pressure and prevent damage to the blood vessels in the heart. While these are all great things, many people don’t like red wine or try to stay away from alcohol. Thankfully, studies have shown that grape juice, particularly juice from red or purple grapes, has most of the same heart benefits that red wine does.

In a study published in 2007, a group of 12 men and women with coronary heart disease were asked to drink 21 oz. of Concord grape juice every day for 14 days. Other changes to their diet weren’t necessary. After 14 days, all 12 participants showed better dilating blood vessels and lowered LDL levels. These results have been replicated many times over, and improved heart health can be seen by drinking just one glass of grape juice a day.

Health benefits of grape juice

Lower Blood Pressure

In 2004, Korean scientist studied the effects of grape juice on blood pressure. A group of men with high blood pressure were asked to drink one and a half cups of grape juice daily for 8 weeks. After this time, all men showed a dramatic improvement in systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

Brain Power

Grape juice doesn’t just keep your heart healthy, it can actually improve the performance of your brain. The flavonoids, a type of antioxidant, in the grape are responsible for this. Antioxidants are almost like the vacuum cleaners of the body, working to clean up all the free-radicals that cells produce when they burn oxygen for energy. Scientists theorize that these flavonoids help keep the blood vessels in the brain clear of blockages and increase nitric oxide, which keeps the vessels clear as well and increases blood flow to the brain. The extra blood helps the brain function better, and studies in lab rats shows this might help with concentration, memory and other brain functions.

Grape juice

Health Benefits of Grape Juice And Anti-Aging

Grape juice contains another powerful antioxidant called polyphenol. Polyphenol is best known as an anti-aging component. In elderly rats, drinking grape juice has been proven to slow down a lot of the motor skill and memory issues that affect both rats and humans during the aging process. In humans, polyphenol has been shown to slow down Alzheimer’s disease progression, reduce the incidence of colon cancer and other cancers common in older people and improve reflexes and memory. These anti-aging health benefits of grape juice can be received by drinking as little as two glasses of grape juice a day. So if you’ve been drinking grape juice regularly since childhood, you might have already done more than enough to improve the quality of your older years.

24 Nov

Health Benefits Of Raspberry Juice

Raspberry juice is one of those juices that are not only delicious to drink, but also offer you lots of various benefits, so if you want to know what are the health benefits of raspberry juice read on! Let us now take a closer look at the 100% pure undiluted raspberry juice itself to see what it’s made of and how it benefits your health.

Raspberry Juice Is Rich In Antioxidants

Out of the different colors of raspberries out there, we shall focus on red raspberry juice here. Being part of the berry family, it is rich in antioxidants that protect your cells from free radicals, thus delaying the aging process. Antioxidants play their role in reducing the risk of cancer and heart disease, since less ‘oxidation’ by unstable free radicals equals less cell damage, which translates to these benefits to your body.

High Vitamin and Mineral Content Is Responsible For Many Of The Health Benefits Of Raspberry Juice

There are also vitamins and minerals found in raspberry juice, which include vitamins B and C, dietary fiber, folic acid, magnesium, manganese potassium, calcium, phosphorus and zinc. The high vitamin C content of raspberry juice has anti-histamine effects to help minimize the allergic reactions in our bodies to certain foods or substances. Consuming just a Ľ cup serving of raspberry juice would already provide 30mg of vitamin C, meeting 50% of the recommended daily allowance (RDA).

Health benefits of raspberry juice

Rich in Phytonutrients And A Natural Pain Killer

In addition to these nutrients, the health benefits of raspberry juice come from it being rich in phytonutrients such as anthocyanins, ellagic acid, salicylic acid, quercitin, and cathechins. The bright and deep red color in raspberry juice comes from the anthocyanin pigments. Research also shows that anthocyanins provide strong antioxidant properties, and are linked to improving your eyesight, preventing cancer, slowing the ageing process and loss of physical motor skills and mental memory, improving blood circulation, and even controlling diabetes. The antioxidant strength of anthocyanins was shown to be even stronger than vitamin E in some tests, where anthocyanins play a role in inhibiting 2 enzymes produced in our body, called COX-1 and COX-2. COX-1 is used to transmit messages for basic body maintenance functions, while COX-2 is used for pain signals and inflammation. By being able to naturally block or inhibit these 2 COX enzymes, raspberry juice in fact can function as a natural pain killer similar to ibuprofen or naproxen, and best of all without the side effects of drugs, being a natural fruit juice.

Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity

The antioxidant potency of raspberry juice is measured using the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC). ORAC measures how much time it takes for antioxidants to do their job in preventing oxidation. In general, research shows that people who consume a lot of fruits and vegetables with high ORAC values would protect their bodies better through these antioxidants. The ORAC value of raspberry juice measures about 4900 ORAC units per 100 grams. This makes raspberry juice among the top-ranked antioxidant fruits, and comparable to its other berry siblings such as cranberries and blueberries.

Raspberry Juice And Anti-cancer Properties

Pure raspberry juice is rich in ellagic acid, which is famous for its anti-cancer properties. This comes from the fact that ellagic acid is a phenolic compound, which has strong anti-carcinogenic characteristics that prevent and inhibit mutations in our cells that could potentially become cancerous. While research on cancer is still widespread and subjective, ellagic acid as a plant phenol has been rated as one of the most powerful ways of preventing cancer and slowing cancer cell growth. It does this by ‘binding’ to the cancer-causing chemicals, making them inactive and unable to mutate further when bacteria are present. This binding by ellagic acid also prevents carcinogens (cancer-causing chemicals) from binding to our DNA, which further helps in preventing cell damage, mutations, and cancer.

The strong anti-cancer properties of raspberry juice are also boosted by quercetin, which is a flavenol renowned as an antioxidant, as well as for its anti-carcinogenic and anti-histamine properties. A serving of 100 grams of juice provides about 12 mg of quercetin.

Protects Your Heart As A Natural Aspirin

Also being abundant in salicylic acid, raspberry juice has the same effects in protecting against heart disease like aspirin. Aspirin also helps in preventing the hardening of arteries known as arteriosclerosis, while also reducing the risk of Parkinson’s disease in later life. With about 5 mg of salicylic acid found in about 100 grams of red raspberries, raspberry juice certainly provides many healthy benefits without the dangerous side effects typical of drugs and medicines.

Low Calories

With a low glycemic index below 60, you can safely consume raspberry juice without fear of piling on calories unhealthily.

We can now conclude that the health benefits of raspberry juice are indeed amazing. Do make sure to drink more of this fruit juice to enjoy its health benefits as a powerful antioxidant with anti-aging, anti-cancer and antihistamine properties. Do not forget raspberry juice is also a natural pain killer, capable of protecting your heart health as well.