Black raspberries may be the next superfood to get public attention. A study in mice has found that these antioxidant-rich berries can prevent colorectal cancer. The mice were genetically engineered to develop a high incidence of intestinal cancer. They were then randomly assigned to receive either a high-fat diet low in vitamin D or the same diet supplemented with 10 percent black raspberry powder.
The mice fed freeze dried black raspberry were roughly half as likely to develop colorectal cancer as the control rodents. This isn’t the first time that black raspberries have shown promise in an animal model. Their high level of antioxidant compounds suggest they have potential against inflammation and cancer. Further studies are needed to determine whether these promising animal results will hold up in human clinical trials.
[Cancer Prevention Research, online Nov. 2010]
The People's Perspective on Medicine