BC Raspberries: Part of a cancer-fighting diet?

Research is suggesting raspberries can prevent and fight certain types of cancer cells in addition to having antioxidant and antibacterial properties.

Nearly everyone likes raspberries, and fortunately the little drupelets have something good going for them health-wise too. A good source of Vitamin C and dietary fibre, raspberries are also recognized for their abundant phytochemicals. 

Research has identified the phytochemical ellagic acid, a compound present in high amounts in raspberries, as a potentially potent anti-carcinogen. Red raspberries are shown to be the leading source of ellagic acid.

Much like an oxygen free radical, ellagic acid scavenges, looking to bind with cancer causing chemicals, rendering them inactive. It inhibits the ability of other chemicals to cause mutations in bacteria. In addition, current animal studies indicate that ellagic acid from red raspberries prevents binding of carcinogens to DNA, and reduces the incidence of cancer in cultured human cells exposed to carcinogens.

Nine years of study have shown that ellagic acid causes G1-arrest of cancer cells within 48 hours (inhibiting and stopping mitosis-cancer cell division), and apoptosis (normal cell death) within 72 hours, for breast, pancreas, esophageal, skin, colon and prostate cancer cells.

Clinical test also show that ellagic acid prevents the destruction of the p53 gene by cancer cells.

Healthy human cells have a normal life cycle. This process concludes with what is called apoptosis (natural cell death). The body replaces these dying cells with healthy ones; conversely, cancer cells do not die. They rapidly multiply by cell division (mitosis) making 2 cancer cells, then 4, 8, 16, 32 and so on. In lab and recent clinical studies, ellagic acid caused the cancer cells to go through a nontoxic, normal apoptosis process without damaging the healthy cells. 

European medical studies also demonstrate that ellagic acid is know to lower the incidence of birth defects, promote wound healing, reduce heart disease and may reduce heart disease and may reduce or reverse chemically induce liver fibrosis.

Australian scientists have recently reported that raspberry cordial (a stimulating medicine or drink) and juice had antibacterial activity, significantly reducing the growth of several pathogenic species of bacteria, including Salmonella, Shigella and E. coli under laboratory conditions.

Australian cattle and livestock farms routinely use raspberry cordial to prevent gastric outburst in their animals. Apparently when their cows start to develop gastroenteritis, instead of calling the vet, farmers just tip a couple of litres of raspberry cordial in the trough. One farmer interviewed in a study claims the mortality in his animals dropped from 40 per cent to zero by using cordial.