Black Raspberries May Help Prevent Cancer

One of my favorite summer treats: red and black raspberries, just sprinkled with a bit of sugar, or perhaps with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side. A recent animal trial suggests that black raspberry powder inhibits harmful chemicals from producing cancer in the oral cavity, the esophagus and the colon. It also reduced the growth rate of pre-cancerous cells and reduced cell DNA damage.

“Black raspberries prevent the formation of blood vessels that feed developing cancers by reducing the production of growth factors for the cells that make up the blood vessels”. They also prevent the conversion of pre-malignant cells to malignant cells, and stimulate pre-cancerous cells to function normally again; or to die rather than grow.”

However, the study also indicated that once the tumors have already developed (papilloma stage), the berry diet had no effect on the development of the tumors or on the animals’ survival. In other words, black raspberries may help prevent, but not cure, such cancers.

Chocolate covered raspberries, anyone?