posted by Robin

Cranberries are valued for their medicinal properties and their high antioxidant content, having one of the highest levels of all fruits and vegetables.

Antioxidants are essential to optimizing health by combating the free radicals that damage cellular structures as well as DNA.

About – Cranberries are glossy, dark red berries that grow on flat small shrubs with small evergreen leaves, found in acidic bogs throughout the cooler regions of the Northern hemisphere. The cranberry fruit is white until it turns deep red when ripe and has a bitter, acidic flavor that can overwhelm its sweetness. They are harvested in the fall, usually from September until early November.

Nutrition – Cranberries are very high in vitamin C and they are rich in dietary fiber but it is their vast array of phytonutrients that provide most of their health benefits, being high in phenolic acids, proanthocyanidins, anthocyanins, flavonoids and treterperoids. Its high level of polyphenols helps to lower harmful cholesterol (LDL) and raise good cholesterol (HDL) in the body. Cranberries improve the function of the blood vessels, reducing the risk of heart diseases and heart attack. They have the potential to stop and even reverse the formation of plaque. Cranberries have been found to have protective effects against bladder infection. Studies suggest that cranberry juice can become an alternative to antibiotics. Its compounds have the ability to change harmful bacteria strains, which have become resistant to conventional treatment and they help to eradicate harmful bacteria. As well, they contain an antibacterial agent which reduces the ability of E. coli bacteria to stick to the walls of urinary tract, giving cranberries the ability to prevent and treat urinary tract infections. Cranberries have the benefit of digestion-aiding enzymes and are known to be good for digestion. The great wealth of nutritional benefits of the cranberry has earned these powerful berries the status of a superfood.