Raspberries

Food · Fruit · Food, Typed Supps

Unusually high in fibre for a fruit, and worth separating from the “raspberry ketone” pill sold under its name.

Stage by stage

Intake (Soft, minimal chewing): Their soft, aggregate structure needs very little mechanical breakdown.
Stomach (Sugars & fibre digest): Natural sugars digest quickly while fibre slows the overall rate.
Small intestine (Fibre, vitamin C & antioxidants absorbed): Fibre, vitamin C, manganese, and anthocyanins are absorbed, aided by gut bacteria for some polyphenols.
Immune & gut (Immune support & fermentation): Vitamin C supports immune cell function; unabsorbed fibre and polyphenols feed gut bacteria.

Timing

Any time — fresh or frozen, nutrient content is similar.

Time to effect

Hours to weeks: Vitamin C’s role in immune cell function is close to immediate; fibre-related benefits build with regular intake.

Allergens

None of the fourteen major allergens. Derived from what this food is, not from a product label.

Eating patterns

Fits: Vegan, Vegetarian, Pescatarian, Halal, Kosher, Gluten-free. Depends on the product: Keto, Low-FODMAP.

In season

June to September in the northern hemisphere, December to March in the southern.

Satiety

240 on the satiety index, where white bread is 100 — very high. Modelled from the Holt et al. (1995) measurements.

Environmental footprint

1.5 kg CO2e and 420 litres of freshwater per kg, matched to "Berries & grapes" in Poore & Nemecek (2018), Science 360.

Cost band

Mid — roughly £9 per kg, as a band midpoint rather than a price.

Key nutrients

Fibre
Vitamin C
Manganese
Anthocyanins

Nutrition per 100g

Calories: 48
Protein: 1.1g
Carbohydrate: 7g
of which sugars: 6.7g
Fat: 0.3g
of which saturated: 0g
Fibre: 4.8g
Sodium: 1mg

Food vs. supplement

A cup of raspberries delivers 8g fibre and over half a day’s vitamin C — unlike “raspberry ketone” supplements, a synthetic compound with no human evidence behind its weight-loss marketing.

Kitchen tip

Don’t wash until ready to eat — moisture makes them mold fast. Freeze in a single layer to preserve texture and nutrients.

Common myth

“Raspberry ketone supplements give you the benefits of raspberries.” In reality: Raspberry ketone is a synthetic, isolated compound with no human clinical trials supporting weight-loss claims — entirely separate from the well-documented fibre, vitamin C, and antioxidant benefits of eating the actual fruit.