Cranberries' Health Benefits

The cranberries' health benefits and especially its usefulness as the natural treatment of choice for urinary tract infections (UTIs) means you should always have some on hand.

Cranberries' health benefits include:

1. inhibits the adhesion of bacteria that cause dental plaque and periodontal gum disease. (Journal of the American Dental Association, vol. 129, 1998)
2. inhibits the adhesion of Helicobacter pylori bacteria implicated in stomach ulcers. (Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, vol. 42, Suppl., 2002)
3. contains significant amounts of flavonoids which may reduce the risk of atherosclerosis and improve cardiac health because they inhibit low density lipoprotein oxidation. (Life Sciences, vol. 62, 1998)
4. helps prevent/treat scurvy because of the high vitamin C content.
5. acts as a natural probiotic, enabling good bacteria to thrive while inhibiting pathogenic bacteria.
6. may protect against age-related coordination and memory loss by protecting brain cells from free-radical damage. The USDA ranks the cranberry as highest on its list for oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC). (The Cranberry Institute, 2004)
7. inhibits the growth of a variety of tumor cells (Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry). The University of Illinois demonstrated the potential anticarcinogenic properties of the cranberry (Planta Medica, 1996) as a protection against tumor growth.
8. prevents and treats urinary tract infections by blocking the action of bacteria that infect the urinary tract

Native Americans and early Europeans knew about cranberries' health benefits and used raw cranberries as a wound dressing, and as a treatment for a number of health problems, including loss of appetite, digestive problems, and blood disorders.