Raspberries

Delicious and brightly, beautifully colored raspberries are a treat of a meal on their own or mixed with other berries or oranges, for example. Thimble-sized raspberries are cultivated in temperate regions and have a taste that ranges from sweet to acidic. Berries, in general, score a 93 out of 100 in Dr. T.C. Fry’s “A General Guide to Food Selection.”

Raspberries are in season from July to August. An average-size raspberry weighs 1.9 grams. A pint of raspberries weighs 312 grams.

Raspberries belong to the family Rosaceae. Several subspecies of raspberries are grown, but the key cultivars derive from hybrids between R. idaeus (European raspberry) and R. strigosus (American raspberry).

Raspberries are rich in Vitamin C and contain greater-than-average amounts of protein and fat for a sweet fruit. They contain 86 percent water by weight.

Russia produces the most raspberries, packaging 140,000 tons, or 26 percent of the world’s raspberries, in 2011. Poland is the second-leading producer, producing 118,000 tons, or 22 percent, the same year. Serbia, the United States and the Ukraine are the other top producers.

Stats for 100 Grams of Raspberries (Raw)

• 52 calories

Notable Nutrients

Percentages based on the Reference Daily Intake for a 2,000-calorie diet

• Fiber: 26%
• Folate: 5.3%
• Vitamin C: 43.7%
• Vitamin K: 9.8%
• Copper: 4.5%
• Magnesium: 5.5%
• Manganese: 33.5%

Carbs/Protein/Fat

• Carbohydrates: 81.9%
• Protein: 7.7%
• Fat: 10.4%

Food Type

• Listed as acid or subacid fruit in a range of raw food books

Sources

• Self Healing Colitis & Crohn’s by Dr. David Klein
• http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/2449
• http://www.cronometer.com
• http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/raspberry.html
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raspberry