6 reasons to eat cranberries as often as possible

What is cranberry good for?

Cranberries are by no means a champion in nutrient diversity. It mainly consists of Cranberries, raw / FoodData Central / U. S. Department of Agriculture from carbohydrates, including fiber. However, there are other compounds in the berry that directly affect health Cranberries 101: Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits / Healthline.

1. It contains a lot of vitamins

100 g of fresh cranberries contain 24% of the RDA. This is useful: ascorbic acid reduces L. M. Popovic, N. R. Mitic et al. Influence of Vitamin C Supplementation on Oxidative Stress and Neutrophil Inflammatory Response in Acute and Regular Exercise / Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, helps R. R. Ettarh, I. P. Odigie, S. A. Adigun. Vitamin C Lowers Blood Pressure and Alters Vascular Responsiveness in Salt-Induced Hypertension / Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology to normalize blood pressure, strengthens M. J. A. J. Huijskens, M. Walczak et al. Technical Advance: Ascorbic Acid Induces Development of Double-Positive T Cells from Human Hematopoietic Stem Cells in the Absence of Stromal Cells / Journal of Leukocyte Biology, promoted by R. Hurrel, I. Egli. Iron Bioavailability and Dietary Reference Values / The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition assimilates iron absorption - and therefore protects against anemia.

In addition, the same 100 g of fresh berries contain a decent amount of vitamins E and K, as well as manganese, which is involved in the production of proteins and various enzymes. However, there is a small nuance.

During the drying process, cranberries lose the Health Benefits of Cranberries / WebMD most of their vitamins.

Therefore, it is better to eat fresh berries.

2. It has a lot of antioxidants

This is the same vitamin C, and manganese, and more specific compounds Cranberries 101: Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits / Healthline - in particular, polyphenols:

Quercetin. Thanks to this antioxidant, cranberries have a potential (research is still ongoing and they are promising) anti-cancer C. C Neto. Cranberry and Its Phytochemicals: A Review of In Vitro Anticancer Studies / The Journal of Nutrition Activity. The berry is perhaps the richest plant source of quercetin.
Myricetin. It also has anti-cancer activity. In addition, doctors suggest K. C. Ong, H. E. Khoo. Biological Effects of Myricetin / General Pharmacology: The Vascular System that this antioxidant is a good prophylactic agent for cardiovascular diseases and diabetes mellitus.
Peonidin. This antioxidant pigment gives cranberries a purplish red hue. He also plays the role of E. Pappas, K. M. Schaich. Phytochemicals of Cranberries and Cranberry Products: Characterization, Potential Health Effects, and Processing Stability / Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition in preventing cardiovascular disorders, inflammatory diseases, and even helping to protect brain neurons from damage.
Ursolic acid. This antioxidant is found in many medicinal herbs and has a powerful anti-inflammatory Y. Ikeda, A. Murakami, H. Ohigashi. Ursolic Acid: An Anti- and Pro-Inflammatory Triterpenoid / Molecular Nutrition & Food Research action.

Most of the antioxidants are concentrated in cranberry skins. To get them, you need to eat the berry whole, and not in the form of juice.

3. Cranberries Protect Against Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)

As a rule, the intestinal bacterium Escherichia coli (E. coli) leads to UTI (cystitis, urethritis, pyelonephritis). It attaches to the lining of the bladder and urinary tract and causes inflammation.

Cranberries also contain unique phytonutrients - type A proanthocyanidins (they are also condensed tannins), which have an interesting property A. B. Howell, J. D. Reed et al. A-type Cranberry Proanthocyanidins and Uropathogenic Bacterial Anti-Adhesion Activity / Phytochemistry. They prevent E. coli from gaining a foothold on the mucous membrane. Thus, eating the berry can reduce the risk of infection.

Cranberries reduce the likelihood, but in no way cure an existing urinary tract infection. If you have symptoms of cystitis, pyelonephritis, or urethritis, be sure to see your doctor.

Unfortunately, any processing of cranberries (drying, boiling, baking) the amount of A-type proanthocyanidins in it sharply decreases F. Sánchez-Patán, B. Bartolomé et al. Comprehensive Assessment of the Quality of Commercial Cranberry Products. Phenolic Characterization and In Vitro Bioactivity / Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. Therefore, it is better to use the product fresh or in the form of juice.

4. The berry may "cancel" antibiotic resistance

WHO cites antibiotic resistance / WHO antibiotic resistance as one of the greatest threats to modern humanity. And this is really so: the uncontrolled use of antimicrobial agents leads to the fact that pathogenic bacteria "get used" (develop defense mechanisms) to antibiotics - and bacterial infections become incurable.

However, scientists from McGill University in Canada discovered V. B. Maisuria, M. Okshevsky et al. Proanthocyanidin Interferes with Intrinsic Antibiotic Resistance Mechanisms of Gram-Negative Bacteria / Advanced Science: The substances found in cranberries can prevent bacteria from acquiring drug resistance. So far, this is the only study on this topic. But doctors suggest 6 Health Benefits of Cranberries / Health.com that when prescribing antibiotics, it may make sense to “prescribe” cranberry juice at the same time - as a prophylaxis for antibiotic resistance.

5. Cranberries Help Maintain Brain Health

Thanks for this, again, are antioxidant substances that have neuroprotective activity - that is, E. Pappas, K. M. Schaich help. Phytochemicals of Cranberries and Cranberry Products: Characterization, Potential Health Effects, and Processing Stability / Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition the body resists mutation and neuronal destruction. This means that they protect the brain from neurodegenerative changes, such as Parkinson's disease or Alzheimer's.

6. Probably improves cardiovascular health

As stated above, cranberries are rich in antioxidants that play a role in the prevention of cardiovascular disease. A huge amount of research 1. G. Ruel, S. Pomerleau et al. Favorable Impact of Low-Calorie Cranberry Juice Consumption on Plasma HDL-cholesterol Concentrations in Men / British Journal of Nutrition

2. I. T. Lee, Y. C. Chan et al. Effect of Cranberry Extracts on Lipid Profiles in Subjects With Type 2 Diabetes / Diabetic Medicine

3. G. Ruel, S. Pomerleau et al. Low-Calorie Cranberry Juice Supplementation Reduces Plasma Oxidized LDL and Cell Adhesion Molecule Concentrations in Men / British Journal of Nutrition

4. A. Basu, N. M. Betts et al. Low-Energy Cranberry Juice Decreases Lipid Oxidation and Increases Plasma Antioxidant Capacity in Women with Metabolic Syndrome / Nutrition Research demonstrates that cranberry juice or extract of this berry:

increases the level of "good" cholesterol;
reduces the amount of "bad" cholesterol, at least in patients with type 2 diabetes;
makes blood vessels more elastic, which helps to normalize blood pressure;
reduces the risk of blood vessel inflammation.

Not all studies have shown consistent results. Nevertheless, the berry clearly has therapeutic prospects. Scientists continue to study the health benefits of cranberries.

To whom can cranberries be harmful?

Most often, this berry is safe. Moreover, because of its taste, it is impossible to eat too much, which means that the risk of an overdose of the same vitamins is extremely low. However, there are categories of people who are better off giving Health Benefits of Cranberries / WebMD any form of cranberry:

Those with kidney stones. Cranberry juice contains oxalates M. K. Terris, M. M. Issa, J. R. Tacker. Dietary Supplementation with Cranberry Concentrate Tablets May Increase the Risk of Nephrolithiasis / Urology is one of the constituents of stones.
Those taking blood thinning medications. Vitamin K contained in cranberries, on the contrary, thickens the blood, increases its coagulability. Thus, the drugs become less effective.