CRANBERRIES: THE SUPER FRUIT

Learn The Amazing Health Benefits Of Cranberries!

Most of us gals know to drink cranberry juice at the first sign of a bladder infection and we’ll likely nip it in the bud.  And research shows that this fantastic little berry has proven health benefits that include and extend well beyond the urinary tract.  Cranberries— fresh, dried, or frozen—can aid in the areas of anti-aging, cancer, dental, and heart health.  They may even work to prevent peptic ulcers.

CRANBERRIES (“BOUNCE” BERRIES) ARE PACKED WITH ANTI-OXIDANTS

Formerly known as bounce berries because the freshest red cranberries actually do bounce, this tart fruit offers loads of nutrition, fiber, and flavor with almost no carbohydrates.  More importantly, cranberries contain phytonutrients, or antioxidants, which are increasingly reported to keep humans healthy.  Antioxidants are compounds that are made naturally by the body or are ingested, usually from fruit and vegetables, which have the ability to stabilize free radicals. Antioxidants help protect our bodies from the harmful molecules we are exposed to on a daily basis.

According to The Cranberry Institute, cranberries contain proanthocyanidins (PACs) that can prevent the adhesion of some bacteria, such as E. Coli, which causes urinary tract infections, to the urinary tract wall.  Cranberries have shown similar effects in the GI tract, which may help prevent bacteria from causing food poisoning or ulcers, and in the mouth, which may prevent tooth decay by stopping bacteria from sticking to the gums. And in some people, drinking cranberry juice every day for several months worked to kill the H pylori bacteria which doctors now believe can cause stomach cancer and ulcers.

OTHER HEALTH BENEFTIS OF CRANBERRIES

Emerging research has shown that a diet supplemented with cranberries may help protect the brain from the kind of neurological damage that which accompanies aging.  The flavonoids found in cranberries have been shown to act as potent antioxidants that may reduce the risk of atherosclerosis or heart disease.  And some studies are reporting that the antioxidants in cranberries improve blood flow in people with atherosclerosis and can help raise good, HDL cholesterol and lower bad, LDL cholesterol. 

ADD CRANBERRIES TO YOUR DIET

Fresh cranberries are at their peak from October through December, but you can throw a whole bag of the cranberries into the freezer, and the fresh cranberries keep in the fridge for a couple of months.  You can also buy frozen cranberries.  Dried, unsweetened cranberries are easy to find and available all year round.  Dried cranberries make a great addition to your yogurt and granola for breakfast, mixed with nuts for a nutritious trail mix, or added into your favorite quick-bread and muffin recipes.  Or simply toss some dried cranberries into a spinach salad with Gorgonzola cheese, some toasted pecans, and a light vinaigrette, and you’ve got a light, healthy lunch.  If you’d like to add cranberry juice to your eating plan, just remember to look for the lightly-sweetened or unsweetened varieties as the old-fashioned “cranberry juice cocktail” is high in sugar and calories.

CRANBERRY RECIPES

Try the following recipes for sweet and tart cranberry relishes to accompany meats, fish or poultry.  They’ll spice up mealtime while boosting your intake of healthy antioxidants.

 

CRANBERRY CHUTNEY (from About.com)

Ingredients:

1 12 oz bag cranberries - fresh or frozen
1 cup thinly sliced onions
1 small apple, chopped fairly fine, but not tiny (get a variety that doesn't turn mushy)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
Pinch cloves
1 teaspoon mild dried mild chile (e.g. ancho), or a pinch of stronger chile (e.g. cayenne)
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar equivalent from artificial sweetener
2 Tablespoons limejuice
1 teaspoon oil

 

Preparation:

1. Put oil in pan -- it should just coat the pan -- and add the onions. (You can cut sliced onions in half or thirds if you want smaller pieces, but no smaller than that.) Turn heat on medium-high, until onions start to sizzle. Stir, and cook for about 2 minutes. (You don't want them to be completely soft at the end.)

2. Add apples and spices. Stir and cook another minute, until spicy smell fills kitchen.

3. Add water and sweetener, and then the cranberries.

4. Cook until the cranberries all pop, stirring occasionally. This should be about 5 to 7 minutes. You may have to add a little more water if it starts to stick. You don't want to the cranberries to fully break down, as if you were making a sauce -- at least some of them should still be recognizable.

5. . Add limejuice and stir. Taste (careful, it's hot) and adjust tartness/sweetness level by adding more sweetener and/or limejuice.

Makes 8 servings.

 

RAW CRANBERRY RELISH (from www.elise.com)

Ingredients
1 cup cranberries, fresh or frozen
1 orange, peeled and quartered
1 apple, quartered
¼ cup sugar or other sweetener, to taste
1/3 cup walnuts or pecans

Place all ingredients into a food processor or blender and process for 10-15 seconds until chunky.

URINARY TRACT INFECTION

CRANBERRY

ANTIOXIDANTS

 

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Article Written By: Julie Mitchell; Julie is an accomplished writer from San Francisco who loves ballet, yoga, walking, cooking and reading. Her experience as a wife and mother of two lend to her articles and blogs for DivaVillage.com and VillageMAMA.com in the areas of wellness, fitness, beauty, parenting and food.