Eating Black Raspberries Helps to Prevent Colon Cancer

If you are searching for a food for a healthy colon, search no further than black raspberries. With colon cancer being the second leading cancer killer in the United States, it is imperative to keep the colon as healthy as possible. Unfortunately, the average American diet consisting of french fries and pizza won’t cut it when it comes to a healthy colon let alone helping to prevent colon cancer. Attaining and maintaining a health colon can be as simple as consuming black raspberries, research shows.

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago wanted to test the cancer-fighting effectiveness of black raspberries. To do so, they took mice which were prone to colon cancer and supplemented their diets with freeze-dried black powder. The mice were genetically engineered to lack the colon-cancer fighting genes which are normally present, causing their chances to prevent colon cancer drop significantly.

The researchers divided mice into two groups, both of which would consume a high-fat western diet. One group of mice would be fed dried black raspberry powder which made up about 10 percent of their total base diet. After 12 weeks, the mice which consumed the dried black raspberry powder had a 60 percent lower amount of tumors than in the other group of mice. Some of the mice in the dried black raspberry powder group also had a 50 percent reduction in tumor formations.

The Benefits of Black Raspberries

Black raspberries are just one type of berry that harness the amazing powers of antioxidants. Antioxidants are essential for cancer prevention and the reversing of free radical damage. By reversing the oxidative damage caused by free radicals in the body, you are essentially preventing heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and so many other health problems. Antioxidants may also slow the aging process and increase longevity. The benefits of black raspberries don’t just help prevent colon cancer – they are essential for overall, optimal health.

The simplest, best way to receive more antioxidants is to eat more fruits and vegetables.  Berries are a great source and are so small that you can eat them anytime or on the go. Other sources of antioxidants are raw nuts and seeds, green tea, kale, carrots, spinach, and broccoli.