Cranberry sauce,
cranberry jelly......mmmmm, what a nice accompaniment to turkey at Christmas or
Thansgiving. I can even remember the cranberry sauce on Christmas day in
England many years ago as a child. What I never realised then was that the
cranberry is a good health food, with health benefits that are only really
coming to light over recent years.
I have never had the
pleasure of fresh cranberry, whihc is a shame, because it is supposed to be not
only delicious bu high in a number of important nutrients. Foremost among
cranberry's nutrients are the many antioxidant vitamins. Nutritionists
and other health experts refer often to the many benefits of a diet that
includes good supplies of fruits and vegetables. The USDA recommends five
servings a day of fruits and vegetables, and cranberries can play a delicious
role in meeting that target.
One of the reasons that
fruits like the cranberry are far more effective than manufactured vitamin
pills, is that fruits and vegetables contain a wide variety of nutrients. These
nutrients can include phytonutrients, which have been shown in scientific
studies to lead to better health and well being.
Cranberry's Other Benefits
On top of its supporting
role in improving overall health and fitness, the cranberry is thought to
assist in reducing occurrences of urinary tract infection (or UTI). The
reason for this is believed to be the proanthocyanidins (PACs), which are present
in cranberries. These PACs have been shown to prevent certain types of
bacteria, including the well known and dangerous E. coli, from adhering to the
walls of the urinary tract.
Furthermore, the PACs
contained in the cranberry are thought to help prevent gum disease and stomach
ulcers, using the same mechanism to prevent adhesion of the bacteria. That is not the end of
the cranberry's perceived potential in good health. There is now growing
evidence that the phytonutrients and antioxidants contained in the cranberry,
and other fruits, may provide protection against a variety of diseases,
including the common killers such as cancer and heart disease.
The healing and
preventative powers of antioxidants come from their ability to fight the
harmful effects of free radicals in the body. Free radicals are part of
the normal processes of body cells, but they can be damaging to health if out
of control. Antioxidants work to mitigate the damage caused by free
radicals, and therefore they are thought to play an important role in
preventing degenerative diseases, and possibly even retarding the ageing
process.
For those who want to
include more cranberry products in their diet, these products are plentiful in
the countries where they grow, are not expensive, and can be available all year
long. In the US, for example, fresh cranberries are available in many
major grocery stores and supermarkets for much of the year, and when they are
not available there are plenty of canned and frozen cranberry products to take
their place.
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