RED RASPBERRIES--CANCER FIGHTERS

Medical tests released January 7, 1999 show that the red raspberry is one of the most effective all-natural ways to fight certain forms of cancer.

Clinical tests conducted at the Hollings Cancer Center in South Carolina confirm that red raspberries, are the richest food source of a substance known as ellagic acid. Ellagic acid has clinically been shown to inhibit the growth of cancer cells, and in some cases cause apoptosis (cell death) in cancer cells.

The studies, under the direction of Daniel Nixon, M.D., indicate that the daily consumption of red raspberries slows the growth of abnormal colon cells, prevents (and in some instances destroys) the development of cells infected with HPV, the virus that causes cervical cancer, and demonstrates similar effects on cancer cells of the breast and pancreas.

CANCER-FIGHTERS YOU CAN EAT!

Raspberries may be the ultimate nutraceutical food. A nutraceutical is a food that when consumed in a typical serving size, provides health benefits beyond basic nutrition, even treating or preventing disease. The above studies were based on the consumption of just 1 cup of raspberries consumed daily as part of a normal diet. Synthetic ellagic acid is too harsh for the human body to accept, causing harmful side effects.The ellagic acid in red raspberries is readily, and effectively absorbed by the body without side effects. Adding red raspberries to you daily diet is the most sensible way to ingest ellagic acid.

Additional tests reveal that red raspberry ellagic acid retains its potency through heating, freezing, and concentrating. So, no matter how you eat your raspberries--fresh, frozen, or in consumer products such as juices, fruit spreads, preserves, or sorbets; you will reap the benefits of their cancer-fighting ability.

HOW DOES RED RASPBERRY ELLAGIC ACID PROTECT THE BODY?

Here are some of the ways ellagic acid helps in the fight against cancer:

• ellagic acid protects human cells against cancer-causing agents in things such as tobacco smoke, food additives, and petroleum based substances
• ellagic acid acts as a scavenger to "bind" cancer-causing chemicals and make them inactive
• ellagic acid blocks specific sites or receptors on DNA molecules where carcinogens often attach themselves
• ellagic acid keeps normal cells from becoming abnormal or cancerous cells
• at low concentrations, ellagic acid slows the growth of cancer cells; at higher concentrations, it tells cancer cells to kill themselves.