Small berries are another type of superfood scientists are researching for their medicinal effects on the body, especially against cancer. Utilizing ellagic acid, a polyphenol –type of substance found in raspberries , strawberries, pomegranates, and walnuts, scientists have shown it to have anticarcinogenic, antioxidant, and antifibrosis properties. Its anticarcinogenic properties have been shown effective against skin, liver, prostate, esophageal, and colon cancers. Ellagic acid may also work against breast cancer.

Scientists have been rather unsure how ellagic acid works to combat cancer, but they do know that taking it from food sources is quite safe.

Now a study published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology has shown that ellagic acid increases programmed cell death and decreases proliferation of pancreatic cancer cells. Pancreatic cancer is very resistant to chemotherapy. Ellagic acid lessens the cancer’s resistance to chemo, opening the door to the possibility of using it with other drugs to kill pancreatic cancer.

More than any other food, raspberries contain the highest amounts of ellagic acid. At one cup, the small fruit is only 70 calories and also provides 50% of a day’s requirement for vitamin C, 32% of fiber, 6% of folate, 6% of magnesium, 5% of Potassium, and 4% each of Calcium, Niacin, B6, Phosphorus, and Zinc. There’s little fat, no cholesterol, and no sodium. Raspberries are highly bio-available (absorbed by the body).

Dave Grotto, RD., LDN, the author of 101 Foods That Could Save Your Life, writes that he has worked in the field of cancer care for many years. He states that raspberries are antioxidant powerhouses and are able to fend off free radicals that cause damage to our cells.

The key is to eat a diet rich in varied plant sources, protecting the body with many different types of antioxidants.  Include raspberries in your diet.

Related--

Walnuts Slow Breast Cancer Growth

Moving Beyond Cancer Survival Statistics

Research Shows The Anticancer Diet Works