The cranberry grows in acidic bogs throughout the US and Canada, particularly in New England, Washington, Oregon, northern
California and southwestern British Columbia.
Plants with pale skins and white pulps have low ORAC but dark fruit like black raspberries, blueberries and cranberries
have higher ORAC values due to their powerful antioxidants. Therefore cranberries are a good choice to fight free
radical cells in the body.
Cranberry
Benefits
It is widely known
that cranberries help prevent urinary tract infection. This is accomplished
by preventing bacteria from sticking to the lining of the urinary tract. More
recently it has been discovered that the same properties help reduce bacterial adhesion to teeth, thus reducing the
formation of dental plaque. Recent studies have also revealed that compounds
in cranberries stop certain disease-causing bacteria from sticking to the stomach lining, thus helping to prevent ulcers.
Fruits and vegetables are excellent foods for good health. They contain disease-fighting powerful antioxidant phenols. In a study of 20 commonly eaten fruits cranberries contained significantly more phenols than any other
fruit measured.
Researchers believe
phenol compounds called flavonoids, associated with foods such as red wine, help reduce cardiovascular disease. Studies indicate flavonoids work by inhibiting blood clothing, increasing interior
blood vessel diameter and protecting oxidation of cholesterol in the bloodstream. This
all leads to improved cardiovascular health. Flavonoids as powerful antioridants
plus other compounds may also play a role in preventing certain types of cancers.
Research to date indicates this and more studies are underway.
Cranberries may also act as natural “probiotics” by
enabling the good bacteria in the GI tract to thrive, while killing off the bad bacteria that promote infections and food-borne
illnesses.
Cranberry Research
Cranberries, or Vaccinium macrocarpon,
are about 80% water, 10% carbohydrates and 10% other organic compounds. They contain three acids: quinic, malic, and citric.
It is these acids that have long been thought to help cure or prevent urinary tract infections. A few years ago, however,
it was discovered that other Vaccinium macrocarpon species (blueberries) were also beneficial related to UTI's. Both
cranberries and blueberries contain an organic compound called phenol. When a number of phenols are joined together, they
form a group called a proanthocyanindins, which inhibit the Escherichia coli bacteria from attaching to the lining
of the urinary tract. Escherichia coli, or E. coli, is the number one cause of UTI’s.
Cranberries have also been investigated for numerous other medicinal
benefits, such as fighting cancer, stroke and viral infections. The National Institutes of Health is funding research to further
investigate the effects of cranberries on heart disease and yeast infections. Some preliminary research indicates that drinking
cranberry juice daily may increase levels of HDL, or good cholesterol and reduce levels of LDL, or bad cholesterol. Likewise,
there is some indication that they may assist with the prevention of H . pylori infection, which causes gastrointestinal
ulcers and dental plaque.
Research has also been done that implies that cranberry phenols may have heart protective benefits by reducing both total
cholesterol and LDL (bad) cholesterol.
