If cranberries are on your Christmas menu this year, you are doing diners around the table a big favour. This tart scarlet berry may be part of a festive meal or two because of tradition, but it’s often overlooked as a fruit that offers plenty of health benefits, some rather unique. In fact, nutrients and phytonutrients found in cranberries help to prevent or mitigate many of the most prevalent conditions in our society including urinary tract infection, stomach ulcers, cardiovascular disease and cancer.
While anyone may contract urinary tract infections, it seems older individuals are especially susceptible. Over the last decades, drinking cranberry juice has been touted as a way to help prevent and treat the infection, with researchers believing it was the acidity of the juice that acted as the potent element. More recently, it has been discovered that cranberries (as well as blueberries which are in the same family) contain proanthocyanidins (as evidenced by its deep red colour) that inhibit the adhesion of strains of bacteria – including E. coli – to the urinary tract wall, thus preventing the reproduction of bacteria required for infection.
This is an exciting discovery since if substances in cranberries are able to thwart the growth of bacteria in the urinary tract, this is likely also true for other parts of the body. And indeed, peptic (stomach) ulcers are increasingly being attributed to bacteria known as H. pylori which cause damage to stomach lining, as opposed to stress and stomach acidity (although these may also play a role). Again, it appears that a phytonutrient in cranberries may help in preventing the bacteria to adhere to the stomach wall. H. pylori it should be said is not only linked to ulcers but also to stomach cancer, non-ulcer dyspepsia (often known as acid reflux) and gastritis (or inflammation of the stomach) – all fairly common conditions.
Anti-inflammatory qualities
It appears the anti-inflammatory qualities of cranberries also have the ability to reverse and inhibit the coaggregation (banding together) of oral bacteria responsible for dental plaque and periodontal disease. Many different types of bacteria may be present in the mouth and throat, some fairly resistant to saliva and mechanical brushing. A unique cranberry component known as NDM (related to its molecular structure) has been identified as an aid in preventing these bacteria to grow.
One of the reasons Canada’s Food Guide recommends from five to 10 servings of fruit and vegetables daily is because of their high antioxidant content. Antioxidants are known as primary disease fighters especially in the case of heart disease and certain cancers by binding free radicals that cause cell damage in the body. In this way, the body is protected from cell mutations which are the start of cancer, as well as damage to the blood vessels which are the beginning of arteriosclerosis which leads to high blood pressure and heart attack. Tests have shown that cranberries are particularly high in antioxidants.
With all these health benefits, it is worth your while to include cranberries in your diet often. It is clear from research that it is the consumption of the whole berry that offers the most benefit. Thus, now is the season to stock up on the fruit. It freezes well for use year-round in cranberry sauce and fruit cups (in combination with other fruit to cut the tartness). Toss into a green salad for a burst of flavour and colour, and blend into smoothies. Use dried cranberries in baked goods, salads and hot oatmeal or eat out of hand as a snack. And you can’t go wrong by drinking plenty of cranberry juice, with a minimum of sugar if possible. If you feel you can’t eat enough cranberries, consider taking a concentrated cranberry capsule which captures the berry’s goodness in a small form.
