A popular gifting item in today’s scenario is fresh fruit basket gifts. Consisting of assortment of fruits, it serves the purpose of a sweet present along with a healthy quotient attached to it. Lots of choices are available for fruits; however, one choice is really worth giving a try- the raspberry. With a beautifully red hue, this fruit is a pool of vitamins and minerals which make it an ideal healthy fruit. So let’s explore some of the nutritive and health benefits of this exotic fruit.

Nutritive Value

Raspberry is a good source of vitamins and minerals. In fact, these vitamins and minerals are essential requirements in the development of the body which can be easily achieved by having this fruit.

• Vitamins– Raspberry is a good source of vitamins. The main vitamins consist of Vitamin C, Vitamin K and Vitamin E. Vitamin C consists of about 43%, vitamin K about 11% and vitamin E about 7% of the total nutritive value of the fruits. All these vitamins are essential for the body. Vitamin C is a water soluble rich source of antioxidants which help to destroy the free radicals reducing the risk of the body for allergies towards allergy. Vitamin C is also very good for skin. Vitamin K is helpful in blood clotting and preventing internal bleeding of the body. It is also useful in bone built up. Vitamin E is also an antioxidant and helps to protect the tissues of the blood vessels.

• Minerals-Raspberry is a rich source of minerals such as manganese (41%), fibre (32%), copper, magnesium and omega 3 fats. Manganese is a quintessential mineral for producing certain enzymes which are essential for bone formation. Fibre is necessary for cleaning the tract of the intestine and removing all the unwanted food. Copper helps in body metabolism, effective utilization of iron and helps to prevent premature aging. Magnesium, on the other hand, helps in absorption of calcium and also aids in protein synthesis. Omega 3 is a part of the poly-unsaturated fats which help to reduce the risk of heart stroke and related diseases. Overall, the mineral content in raspberry is quite crucial for our body needs.

Health benefits of raspberry

In addition to the nutritive value, raspberry has umpteen health benefits. Some of them are as follows:

• Research suggests that raspberry has certain poly-nutrients which aid in  providing anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties

• There is a special compound found in raspberries called ketone which consists of rheosmin which increases the fat enzyme activity in the cells thus increasing their metabolism. As a result, it reduces obesity by a considerable amount.

• Raspberry has been found very effective in reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes if 2 bowls are consumed per week.

• According to a recent research, the risk of cardiovascular diseases which are caused by inflammation can be prevented by compounds called anthocyanin which is found in high amount in raspberry.

• Raspberry anti-oxidants can help to fight cancer and reduce its risk by a considerable amount.

With all these health benefits, raspberry is surely a great fruit to have.

Guava is a great fruit to have. Apart from its specific sweet taste, it forms a main component for fresh fruit basket gifts. Although you may or may not like this fruit, we give you solid reasons that are proven beneficial to your health.

• Helps in improving immunity– Guava is a rich source of vitamin C which is one of the factors that help to improve the immunity level of the body. It also acts as a protective shield against common infections

• Reduces the risk of cancer– Guava has certain chemical compounds such as lycopene, quercitin and other polyphenols which are attributed to reducing the levels of cancer or tumour growth by acting as strong antioxidants against the free radicals that are generated.

• Controls blood sugar level– Guava has a high content of fibres which are essential for controlling the blood sugar level. All the more it has a very low glaucoma index which keeps a check on the sudden increase of sugar levels in the body.

• Guava is rich in contents such as vitamin C, lycopene and carotene which work wonders for prolonging the process of aging and wrinkles and hence is quite helpful for the skin.

• Guava is a good fruit to help regularize the heart health. It helps to maintain the sodium and potassium balance in the body and thus prevent heart strokes. In addition, guava also helps to lower down the bad cholesterol levels in the body.

• Guava is a good source of fibres which help to clean out the blocked colon tract and thus improve the digestive capacity of the body.

• Guava contains vitamin A which is essential for improving the vision. All the more, vitamin A is required for relieving one from night blindness and hence a good amount should be had on a weekly basis.

• Guava has been proven to be a good stress buster since it contains high level of magnesium. So, it is a natural way to beat the stress and keep the nerves in a relaxed state of mind.

• Guava is considered quite well for brain. It has essential vitamins such as vitamin B3 (niacin) and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) which help to increase the blood circulation to the brain and helps to boost its level.

• Guava has an anti-bacterial activity which helps to fight germs and bacteria and hence the leaves can be used as an agent for reducing tooth ache naturally

All these health benefits are attributed to the fact that guava has a very high nutritional value. Let’s explore them:

• Guava is a rich source of vitamins and minerals. Vitamin C constitutes a major portion of the entire content. Vitamin C is very good for skin and also helps in boosting the immunity. In addition, it also contains Vitamin K, vitamin B3 and B9 which all help in body metabolism. Amongst minerals, the content of magnesium and potassium which are good for the body as they help in reducing stress levels and help in bone formation respectively.

Hence, have a guava on a regular basis.