Dr Amir Khan has revealed the health benefits that come with eating more raspberries, including how they can help reduce the risk of cancer.
We all know that eating a varied diet with lots of fruit and vegetables are good for us. But do you know why? While you don’t need to go vegetarian or vegan, eating a more plant-based diet has been proven to have several health benefits.
While all fruits and veg contain a variety of different vitamins and antioxidants that help our bodies be as health as possible, Dr Amir Khan, an NHS GP who is known from his appearances on ITV‘s Lorraine, has highlighted one berry in particular that people should add into their diets as he claims it could help fight off cancer.
“Let’s talk about some of the heath benefits of raspberries,” he said at the start of the video, before explaining some of the health benefits of the berry.
He claimed: “Now, raspberries are high in several powerful antioxidants, including vitamin c, quercetin, and ellagic acid. These help protect our body from damaging free radicals and can reduce the risk of diseases like some cancers, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.”
He went on to say: “Raspberries are high in fibre, low carbohydrate fruit good for your gut health and have a positive effect on blood sugars.”
Dr Amir went on to explain that the berries also contain sometime called tannin, which can reduce carbohydrate absorption.
“So although they taste sweet, they’re actually low in natural sugars,” he shared. “They are also a good source of potassium and magnesium, which is good for kidney health and blood pressure. Plus the high fibre content means just a few can fill you up so you’re less likely to snack later.”
He then urged people to add the berry into their diet, such as in their porridge or as a snack, in order to take advantage of the health benefits.
According to the American Institute of Cancer Research, some studies have shown convincing evidence that foods with dietary fibre can help decrease the risk of bowel cancer. They also note that eating more non-starchy vegetables and fruits, such as raspberries, also can help reduce the risk of Aerodigestive cancers overall. This include cancers in the mouth and neck, oesophagus, lung, stomach, as well as colorectal cancers.
There are also some studies that claim that fruit can limit the risks of getting lung and bladder cancers, but the conclusions of these studies have not been strong enough to justify recommendations.
This should be taken as informative only, not medical advice. When in doubt, speak to your doctor.