subject: The Cranberry's Health Benefits [print this page] The Cranberry's Health Benefits The Cranberry's Health Benefits
One of the most important condiments around Thanksgiving and the festive season is the cranberries to go along with the turkey. Cranberries fall into a category often referred to as "plant food". The berry contains a number of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, probiotics and other components, that work together nourishing the cells of the body; enabling good health.
The cranberry is in the Vaccinium genus along with the blueberry and the huckleberry. It grows in acidic bogs in colder native regions of the northern hemisphere,such as Europe United States and Canada. The cranberry plant, a long running vine, has evergreen leaves and the berry is initially white turning a scarlet red in July-August.
The cranberry has been aggressively commercialized for its juice with well over 800 cranberry growers alone in a cooperative for Ocean Spray, a global company. We have the cranberry available to us in the fresh or frozen state, jams and jellies, dried and as a juice. Reading the labels on these products are important. Although there are great health benefits from the berry itself, some of these products may be very high in sugar content.
Being of dark colored flesh and skin it has a high ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) level. Scientific evidence points to widespread protection against numerous diseases when you have a diet that in rich in high ORAC foods.
Cranberries are scientifically recognized for their potent source of antioxidant phytochemicals. Through normal metabolism the body is generating free radicals in the cells. Being exposed to pollution, toxins, unhealthy stress, and unhealthy lifestyles, the production of free radicals increase.
There are on going studies on the benefits of cranberries in the prevention and treatment of many cancers, high blood pressure control, diabetes control, as well as inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. The largest studies have been on the berries anti-bacterial action.
Research is showing that flavonoids in berries, specifically anthocyanin, accounting for most of the red pigmentation of the cranberry, may protect against the development of Parkinson disease.
Cranberries are used in health and wellness supplements, such as YouthJuice. If you do not like the taste of the sour berry, by taking such a supplement you get the health benefits, by its bridging the gaps in your diet.
