Eating a cup of raw raspberries at dinner promotes a good night’s sleep and weight loss. Raspberries are packed with nutrients that relax the muscles, regulate sleep-wave signals in the brain, reduce late-night cravings for fattening food, control energy intake, and burn belly fat. They’re high in:
- vitamin C
- vitamin E
- folate
- resveratrol
- anthocyanins
- fiber
- potassium
- magnesium
- copper
- manganese
- iron
Raspberries at dinner support weight loss & a good night’s sleep!
They keep you full until bedtime with only a few calories
Raspberries can keep you full for a long time because they’re high in fiber. Actually, raw raspberries are among the richest fruits in fiber. A serving provides up to 35% of the Daily Value.
A diet high in fiber is good for weight loss because it controls energy intake. Fiber provides a feeling of fullness for hours, as it delays digestion and increases the volume of food in the stomach.
Additionally, a diet high in fiber has been linked to a high-quality, restorative sleep with fewer arousals.[1]
Moreover, raw raspberries hydrate the body because they’re 86% water.
Proper hydration is necessary for burning belly fat. Water in involved in fat metabolism. We should consume at least 64 oz of water a day.
In fact, raspberries hydrate the body better than tap water because they contain electrolytes, such as calcium, potassium, and magnesium. We have to replenish these essential minerals daily. Also, raw raspberries contain high-quality purified water. Actually, all fruits are natural water filters.
Most noteworthy, raw raspberries are particularly low in sugar. So, you could eat raw raspberries before bed as a healthy snack to reduce sugar cravings.
Consuming too much sugar before bed can cause weight gain. The body has decreased insulin sensitivity at night. Also, too much added sugar at dinner may affect sleep quality.
Thus, it’s crucial to avoid consuming raspberries with added sugar, sugar-rich raspberry jams, or other sweets before bed. Even frozen sweetened raspberries are packed with added sugar.
Above all, raw raspberries support weight loss because they have only a few calories.
Vitamin C helps burn belly fat while sleeping
Additionally, raw raspberries are great dietary sources of vitamin C.
Vitamin C is a key vitamin for a good night’s sleep. It plays a beneficial role in daytime sleepiness, restless legs syndrome, sleep apnea, and insomnia!
Furthermore, vitamin C has a beneficial effect on weight loss. It’s involved in fat metabolism and manages blood glucose levels.
Raspberries are among the richest fruits in Vitamin E
Most noteworthy, raspberries are among the richest fruits in vitamin E. Actually, there are only a few plant-based foods high in vitamin E.
Raw raspberries have 0.87 mg of vitamin E per 100g. A cup has 1.3 mg of vitamin E. This doses is almost 9% of the recommended daily intake.[2]
Vitamin E is key for weight loss as well as good health. It has potent antioxidant properties, improves insulin sensitivity, controls glucose levels, and improves metabolic profile.
In addition, vitamin E seems to play a beneficial role in sleep disorders.[3]
Benefits of folate
Also, raw raspberries are among the richest foods in folate. They have 21 mcg of folate per 100g. A serving provides 31.5 mcg of folate. This dose is 8% of the Daily Value.
Getting adequate amounts of folate while following a long-term hypocaloric diet for weight loss is necessary for good health. Folate manages homocysteine levels, which may be elevated during weight loss. High levels of homocysteine can be dangerous for the cardiovascular system.
Obese people have low levels of folate, though.
Furthermore, high folate intakes could help people with sleeping problems.[4]
Thus, eating a wide variety of low-calorie foods containing folate at dinner is good for you.
The role of Potassium
Additionally, a cup of raw raspberries has about 226 mg of potassium. This dose is almost 7% of the DV.
Normal serum potassium levels are important for optimum sleep quality.[5]
Most people fail to consume the recommended daily intake of potassium, though. Potassium deficiency is common among people who follow the standard American diet.
Low potassium levels have been linked to increased body mass index (BMI) and obesity.
However, we can get high amounts of potassium by consuming a wide variety of plant-based foods.
Copper affects sleep cycles
Raspberries are high in copper as well. They provide 15% of the recommended daily intake per serving!
Copper is an essential trace element. Low levels of copper may lead to increased belly fat. It seems to regulate the secretion of hunger hormones like leptin.[6]
Also, copper seems to affect sleep-activity cycles, as it’s highly concentrated in the brain. Especially in the locus coeruleus area, which mediates these cycles! In this area, copper concentrations are around 10 times higher than other areas of the brain.[7]
Magnesium for a good night’s sleep
Moreover, raw raspberries are excellent vegan sources of magnesium. A cup provides about 8% of the Daily Value!
Adequate magnesium intake is necessary for weight loss. It manages glucose metabolism and the synthesis of anabolic hormones like testosterone.
Eating foods high in magnesium is vital for obese people, as they have lower serum magnesium levels than people with a normal body weight.
Normal magnesium levels have beneficial effects on sleep quality. Magnesium affects sleep onset latency, snoring, sleep duration, early morning awakening, and daytime falling asleep.[8]
Iron for obesity & sleep disorders
Moreover, raw raspberries are excellent vegan sources of iron. A cup provides 6% of the Daily Value!
Iron deficiency is the most common micronutrient deficiency worldwide! Among other health issues, it has also been associated with increased risk of obesity and sleep disorders![9]
Manganese & obesity
Furthermore, raspberries are among the richest plant-based foods in manganese. A cup provides 28% of the recommended daily intake.
Obese people have significantly lower levels of manganese.[10]
Antioxidants in raspberries
Above all, raspberries, as all berries, are packed with antioxidant compounds. Raspberries are particularly high in polyphenolic components. Especially ellagitannins and anthocyanins.[11]
Anthocyanins are powerful flavonoid compounds, which contribute to 25% of the total antioxidant capacity of raspberries! Fresh red raspberries contain about 92 mg anthocyanins per 100g.
They may protect from chronic low-grade oxidative stress, which can lead to obesity and many diseases.
Also, anthocyanins seem to play a beneficial role in anxiety and depression, as well as insomnia.[12]
The other major group of polyphenols in red raspberries is ellagitannins.
Fresh raspberries are also high in resveratrol. In fact, this powerful antioxidant compound is naturally present only in berries, peanuts, grapes, and red wine. Apples, and plums contains decent amounts as well.[13]
Resveratrol may support a good night’s sleep and improve obstructive sleep apnea. It has neuroprotective properties and seems to be a potent regulator of sleep-wake rhythms.
Additionally, high resveratrol intakes may help on weight loss. In fact, resveratrol promotes a lean body. It helps build muscle mass, while lowering fat mass and waist circumference.[14]
How many raspberries can I eat at dinner?
Fresh or unsweetened frozen raspberries are low in calories. Thus, we can eat high amounts. They have only 52 calories per 100g, or 78 calories per cup.
In fact, eating a cup of raw raspberries before bed supports weight loss and a good night’s sleep. You could eat even 2 cups of raw raspberries a day. Still, they have fewer than 160 calories!
On the contrary, you should avoid consuming sweetened frozen raspberries. They have way too many calories as compared to fresh fruits. Frozen raspberries with added sugar have 103 calories per 100g. They have almost double the calorie content of the fresh fruit.
Hence, if you like eating sweetened frozen raspberries, at least consume no more than half a cup a day. Too much sugar at dinner is bad for weight loss and sleep.
How to eat raspberries at night for better sleep & weight loss?
You could eat raw raspberries with foods high in protein, such as Greek yogurt. Diets high in protein have been associated with better sleep.[15]
Also, raspberries are great in smoothies or fruit salads. In order to skyrocket your protein intake, you could add a scoop of protein powder.
Moreover, you could eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for dinner. Just prepare it with reasonable amounts of a high-quality, sugar-free raspberry jam. A PB&J sandwich is high in tryptophan. This amino acid supports sleep. Among others, it’s involved in the synthesis of serotonin, melatonin, and niacin, which are important for sleep quality.
Eat both raspberries & strawberries before bed
Keep in mind that raspberries have negligible amounts of melatonin. Melatonin controls circadian rhythm. Hence, it’s known as the sleep hormone. Eating foods with melatonin before bed has beneficial effects on sleep.
Raspberries have less than 0.005 mcg of melatonin per 100g! If you like all berries, you could eat raspberries with strawberries before bed. Strawberries are among the richest foods in melatonin, containing up to 1.34 mcg of melatonin per 100g![16]
What’s the best time of the day to eat raspberries?
We can eat reasonable amounts of raw raspberries at any time of the day, every day. Keep in mind that high quantities may cause adverse effects in certain cases, though.
But, great times to eat them for weight loss and for boosting the immune system are at breakfast, before a high-calorie meal, or after exercise!
They reduce energy intake, as they regulate cravings for fattening food, while antioxidants in raspberries protect the body from oxidative stress due to air pollution or sun radiation. Also, eating raspberries after strenuous exercise promotes muscle recovery!
