Calories in Raspberries

What makes raspberries so powerful?

A raspberry is not a true berry in the botanical sense; it is an aggregate fruit. Each raspberry is composed of around 100 to 120 tiny individual sections called drupelets, each containing a single seed and surrounding a central hollow core. When you pick a raspberry, the core remains on the plant, which is why raspberries have their distinctive hollow shape. This delicate structure is also why they spoil so quickly—the separation of the drupelets from the receptacle creates an open cavity that readily admits air and moisture, accelerating microbial growth. Beyond their unique anatomy, raspberries are a remarkably concentrated source of dietary fiber and polyphenols. They contain exceptionally high levels of ellagic acid, a phenolic compound that belongs to the hydrolyzable tannin family. Ellagic acid is found not just in the flesh but is highly concentrated in the seeds, which often pass through the digestive tract intact. The deep red color of most commercial varieties comes from anthocyanins, water-soluble vacuolar pigments that act as powerful antioxidants within the plant and in the human body upon consumption.