Cranberries are native to North America. Their formal name is Vaccinium macrocarpon, also known as healthful food, due to their high nutrient and antioxidant content. They are often referred to as a "super food." Half a cup of cranberries contains only 25 calories.
The disease-fighting antioxidants found in cranberries outrank many other fruits and vegetables, including strawberries, spinach, broccoli and red grapes. This amazing fruit, which is sold fresh, frozen and dried, is commonly used in products like juices, sauces, jellies, baked goods and teas.
Antioxidants and phytonutrients in cranberries, such as oligomeric proanthocyanidins, anthocyanidin flavonoids (which give them their bright red color), cyanidin, peonidin, and quercetin, have unique health-impacting attributes. (Scientists say it's possible that the anthocyanidin strength in cranberries is increased when they're water-harvested, due to the amount of natural sunlight they're exposed to.) Some contain stroke- and cardiovascular disease-preventing compounds that discourage cholesterol from forming in the heart and blood vessels.
Researchers believe that cranberries contain substances that prevent infection-causing bacteria from sticking to the urinary tract walls, and they are also an excellent source of many important vitamins and nutrients, including vitamin C, manganese and fiber. As you’re about to see, the health benefits of cranberries are incredible.
1. PREVENTS AND TREATS URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS
Cranberries are perhaps most widely known for helping to prevent or treat urinary tract infections (UTIs). UTIs are about 50 times more common in women than men due to the location of a women’s urethra. They can affect any part of the urinary tract but occur most often in the bladder (cystitis).
Each year it’s estimated that there are over 15 million urinary tract infections in the U.S. alone. The infection produces symptoms of frequent, urgent or painful urination, and sometimes abdominal pain or blood in the urine. Most UTIs are caused by a harmful bacteria called Escherichia coli (or E. coli). The high level of antioxidant proanthocyanidins (PACs) in cranberries helps to stop certain bacteria from adhering to the urinary tract walls. In this way, the PACs in cranberries help prevent infection.
The traditional preventative recommendation to help prevent UTIs from forming is to drink one to two glasses of 100 percent pure, unsweetened or lightly sweetened cranberry juice a day. Studies offer evidence that women who drink cranberry juice frequently may suffer fewer symptomatic urinary tract infections.
Antibiotics are very effective in preventing and treating these infections, but side effects of antibiotics — including antibiotic resistance, yeast infections, digestive problems and more — often deter many women from taking them.
In the U.S., antibiotics for urinary tract infections are thought to make up 15 percent of all antibiotics prescribed each year. There is mounting evidence that consuming too many doses of antibiotics can lead to many health problems, but luckily a natural remedy like the use of cranberries has become a popular and effective alternative.
Some researchers believe that certain antioxidants in cranberries change the bacteria so they can’t stick to the urinary tract; others think that cranberries create a slippery coating on the urinary tract walls that prevents E. coli from sticking. One study looked at women who had a history of urinary tract infections caused by E. coli bacteria.
Women who drank 1.7 ounces of cranberry-lingonberry juice concentrate every day for six months lowered their risk of getting a UTI by 20 percent compared to women who didn’t use any intervention. In another study, older adults who ate cranberry products were about half as likely to have bacteria and white blood cells in their urine, a sign of urinary tract infections. [2]
A third study involved 20 women with recurrent UTIs who consumed one serving of sweetened and dried cranberries daily for two weeks. Over half of the patients did not experience a UTI within six months of consuming sweetened, dried cranberries, and the mean UTI rate per six months decreased significantly. The results of this study indicate a beneficial effect from consuming cranberries to reduce the number of UTIs in susceptible women. [3]
When reviewers compared cranberry juice, capsules or tablets with a placebo or water for the prevention of UTIs in a variety of populations, results showed that over a 12-month period, cranberry products reduced the overall incidence of UTIs by 35 percent, and among women with recurring UTIs, cranberries cut the annual rate of new infections by 39 percent. [4]
However, researchers at the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine in Houston found that cranberry juice, especially the juice concentrates you find at the grocery store, will not treat a UTI or bladder infection. It can offer more hydration and possibly wash bacteria from your body more effectively, but the active ingredient in cranberry is long gone by the time it reaches your bladder.
2. DECREASES INFLAMMATION
Inflammation is at the root of many common diseases seen in developed nations, including heart disease, autoimmune disease, cancer, diabetes and more. Anti-inflammatory foods like cranberries help naturally combat inflammation due to their antioxidants.
Antioxidants are found in foods that are naturally deeply colored, such as the dark red color of cranberries or the rich blue/purple color of blueberries. All berries help fight free radicals due to being high in antioxidants, but cranberries prove to be one of the best sources on earth.
Inflammation occurs when the body’s immune system works on overdrive, trying hard to rid the body of toxins that come from an unhealthy diet, pollution and more. A diet low in antioxidant, anti-inflammatory foods results in an abundance of free radicals within the body. Free radicals, which might sound like a foreign and confusing concept, are essentially a natural byproduct that our body creates from doing everyday activities.
Everyone produced free radicals, but when left uncontrolled, they proliferate and can cause damage to DNA, cellular membranes and enzymes. Frequently eating a range of whole food, anti-inflammatory foods is correlated with less cancer risk, better brain function, healthier cholesterol and triglyceride levels, plus it reduces the incidence of diabetes and autoimmune diseases like arthritis.
3. MAY HELP PREVENT CERTAIN CANCERS
Research has shown that cancer-preventive substances found in cranberries are helpful in preventing breast, colon, lung and prostate cancers.
This is due to the fruit being able to help slow tumor progression in both human and animal studies. [3, 4] With their unique array of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrients, cranberries seem ideally positioned to help lower the risk of some of the common types of cancers.
Antioxidants are essential to optimizing health by combating the free radicals that can damage cellular structures as well as DNA. Growing evidence from various studies suggests that the high content of antioxidant flavonoids found in cranberries and blueberries has the ability to help stop age-related diseases from developing thanks to their capability of limiting oxidative stress. That is why they are some of the top cancer-fighting foods around.
This is crucial because sadly many people experience high levels of oxidative stress from ongoing bodywide inflammation caused by a poor diet, mental stress and unhealthy environments.
5. BENEFITS THE DIGESTIVE TRACT
Cranberries are believed to have cleansing, anti-diarrheal, antiseptic and diuretic detoxifying properties. They help the body eliminate toxins and buildup, plus they aid in relieving water retention and bloating. Our digestive system goes beyond just our intestines and stomach — it is actually made up of our entire mouth, gums and colon too.
Recent research has shown that cranberry benefits help optimize the balance of bacteria in our entire digestive tract, acting similarly to how probiotics found in kombucha, kefir or yogurt would create an environment of healthy “gut flora.”
Digestive health benefits from cranberries are undeniable because of the fruit’s ability to balance bacteria in the body, decreasing harmful “bad” bacteria and facilitating in the growth of “good” beneficial bacteria. This not only relieves symptoms like constipation, diarrhea and stomach acid but also helps boost immunity and nutrient absorption, since a healthy gut wall is important for both of these functions.
6. REDUCES RISK OF HEART DISEASE
The cardiovascular benefits of cranberries come from the combined impact of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory phytonutrients. Studies involving participants who consume a normal dietary intake of cranberries, which is about one cup a day, show that the fruit can prevent the triggering of two enzymes that are pivotal in the development of heart disease. Cranberry has also been shown to prevent activation of these enzymes by blocking the activity of a pro-inflammatory molecule called tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha).
The antioxidant benefits of the cranberry have been associated with decreased risk of various markers of heart disease, including high blood pressure and unhealthy cholesterol levels. Cranberries are an all-natural way to help to reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke because they dilate blood vessels, reduce inflammation and increase your blood flow.
In animal studies, when low-calorie cranberry juice and cranberry extracts were consumed by rats and mice, the antioxidant benefits were clearly associated with decreased risk of high blood pressure. The cranberry extracts helped prevent over-constriction of the blood vessels, which can lead to cardiac arrest or other forms of heart disease. [7] Compared to many blood pressure or heart medications, which can cause complications in some people, cranberries are virtually free of any risky side effects at all.
Many studies have shown that patients taking cranberry extract or eating whole, fresh cranberries experience a positive dilation of blood vessels and increased blood flow, and the positive effects have been seen in both systolic and diastolic blood pressures. They are also an excellent source of blood-pressure-lowering vitamin C, containing 18 percent of your daily value in just one cup. According to recent studies, consuming cranberries can lower both your systolic and diastolic blood pressure by three points, which contributes to a healthier cardiovascular system and decreased risk for heart disease and stroke. [8, 9]
Many recent studies have shown that whole cranberries consumed in dietary form when compared to purified cranberry extracts that are in a liquid or dried form, are better at protecting the cardiovascular system and liver. This is just another reason to buy fresh cranberries and use them in a variety of recipes that you make yourself.
7. PREVENTS TOOTH DECAY
The proanthocyanidins in cranberries may also benefit oral health. These components inhibit acid production and protect the teeth from periodontal diseases by preventing the growth of plaque, according to researchers at the Center for Oral Biology and Eastman Department of Dentistry at the University of Rochester Medical Center.
Good oral hygiene, along with the consumption of cranberries, disrupts the pathogenic mechanism of dental caries and generally makes for good dental health. At the same time, one should watch out for the soaring sugar content and the acidity of some commercially available cranberry juices – natural juice is always better!
CAUTION
People who use the blood-thinning drug, warfarin, or Coumadin, should not suddenly increase their intake of cranberries.
While there is conflicting evidence on the potential for cranberries to enhance the anticlotting effects, this could lead to increased bleeding.
Cranberry products may lead to a higher excretion of oxalate in urine. This could promote the formation of kidney stones.
Individuals with a history of kidney stones should talk to their healthcare provider before increasing their intake of cranberries.
References
Related Article: Healthy Fruit - Berries For Your Health
