Health

Health Benefits

Cranberries and Heart Health

One of the major risk factors for cardiovascular disease is triglyceride levels. In one study in men with abdominal obesity, researchers found that drinking 250 to 500 ml of cranberry juice daily significantly reduced triglyceride levels.(1)

In another study, 30 women and 26 men drank either 240 ml of cranberry juice daily or 240 ml of a placebo beverage daily for eight weeks. Triglyceride levels dropped significantly in the cranberry juice group compared to the placebo group. What’s more, the researchers found that people with the highest triglyceride levels at the start of the study benefited most by drinking cranberry juice; the higher the baseline triglyceride levels, the greater the effect.(2)

Additional effects of drinking cranberry juice in the study included lowering diastolic blood pressure, lowering fasting glucose levels, and lowering markers of inflammation like C-reactive protein (by 44 percent).(2) These are all risk factors for heart disease.(3)

Cranberries Improve Digestion

Cranberries, like all fruits, are fairly high in fiber. Most of that fiber is eliminated when the cranberries are turned into juice, but not when they are dried. The fiber in the dried cranberries can help to stop the helicobacter pylori bacteria from adhering to the walls of your stomach, preventing them from causing infections. The flavonoids and antioxidants in the berries will also help to reduce your risk of colon cancer, as well as prevent gum disease from setting in. All in all, cranberries are great for your digestion. (4)

Cranberries and Antioxidants

According to the largest USDA study of the antioxidant content of food, cranberries are among the top five foods with the highest antioxidant content per serving. (5) The study included samples of more than 1,100 commonly consumed foods and beverages. It represents the largest ever systematic screening of antioxidants in food.

Antioxidants are substances that protect cells from oxidative stress and the effects of free radicals. Free radicals are continually produced in the human body. Breathing air, digesting food, or being exposed to second-hand smoke or the sun all produce free radicals. Experts believe free radicals play a role in heart disease, cancer, and other diseases.

There are hundreds if not thousands of antioxidants in foods. Examples of some of the antioxidants found in cranberries include (6):

• Anthocyanins
• Ellagic acid
• Quercetin
• Resveratrol
• Selenium
• Vitamins A, C and E

Research suggests that antioxidants from food are more beneficial for human health compared to dietary supplements. Antioxidants seem to work best when combined with other antioxidants and nutrients naturally present in food.

Plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, and grains contain more antioxidants than animal products, like meat and dairy. In the USDA study, the top 300 foods were plant-based products while the bottom 300 foods were animal products.

While much more research needs to be done on the effects of antioxidants on human health, research supports the beneficial role of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables in a healthful diet.

Cranberries—available in many convenient forms including dried cranberries, 100% cranberry juice, and cranberry sauce—are a wonderful way to add an antioxidant-rich fruit to your daily diet.

Emerging Research

Since the early 1990s researchers have been studying the effects of cranberry products on urinary tract health. More recently, researchers have examined cranberries’ ability to promote heart health. Today, researchers around the world are studying other potential health benefits of cranberries. While much of this research is preliminary, it is exciting to consider the possible benefits of little red cranberry.

Urinary Tract Infections

Cranberries naturally contain the avonoid, proanthocyanidins (PACs). The unusual structure of the PACs found in cranberries offer bacterial anti-adhesive properties not found in other commonly consumed fruits and vegetables.(1) The PACs in cranberries may help prevent the adhesion of certain harmful bacteria, including E. coli, that are associated with urinary tract infections (UTIs). (2,3) The avonoids in cranberries, including PACs, may also help to inhibit the bacteria associated with gum disease and stomach ulcers, and may help protect LDL-cholesterol (“bad” cholesterol) from being oxidized. (4-8) Not only do cranberries have PACs, but dried cranberries are also a good source of ber – 10% of the Daily Value – with 2.3 grams per serving (40 gram serving). And 1/2 cup of dried cranberries is equal to one serving of fruit (one cup), according to ChooseMyPlate recommendations. (9,10)

Dental Health

Based on research showing cranberries contain proanthocyanidins (PACs), substances that interfere with bacteria’s ability to attach to cells lining the bladder walls, researchers in Canada and Japan have been investigating the effects of cranberry extracts on bacteria that cause tooth decay and gum disease. (11-15) These tissue and cell culture studies have shown promising results; cranberry extracts weaken the ability of bacteria to attach to teeth and gums. Does eating cranberries or drinking cranberry juice have this effect? We don’t know yet because human studies have not been performed; however, the anti-adhesion effect of cranberry juice products has been demonstrated for urinary tract health. It is likely that cranberry products have a similar benefit for dental health.

Cancer Prevention & Treatment

Not only can the cranberries help to reduce the swelling that may lead to cancer, but it can block a wide range of enzymes that contribute to the formation, growth, and spread of cancer cells. Cranberries are known to protect your body from a number of cancers, such as prostate cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, and lung cancer. (16) According to the National Cancer Institute, diets rich in fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of some types of cancer and other chronic diseases. One of the reasons why this may be true is that fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants, substances that protect cells from DNA damage and other “injuries” that can increase risk of cancer and other chronic diseases.

A large USDA study of the antioxidant content of more than 1,100 foods showed that cranberries are among the top five foods with the highest antioxidant content per serving. (17) Cranberries contain a number of substances with antioxidant activity, including anthocyanins, flavonols, and proanthocyanidins. These substances reduce oxidative stress, decrease cellular inflammation, and protect DNA, thereby reducing risk of cellular changes that could lead to cancer initiation and progression. (18)

In addition to potentially reducing risk of cancer, cranberries are also being investigated as a way to improve the effectiveness of chemotherapy for ovarian cancer. (19) Researchers at Rutgers University demonstrated in cell culture studies that human ovary cancer cells resistant to platinum chemotherapy drugs became up to six times more sensitized to the drugs after exposure to the cranberry compounds compared to cells that were not exposed to the compounds, which were obtained from juice extracts. The researchers believe the A-type proanthocyanidins (PACs) that are unique to cranberries bind to and block certain tumor promoter proteins found in the ovary cancer cells, making the cancer cells become more vulnerable to attack from the drugs. This study is very preliminary. Further research is needed to confirm these findings, and to determine if the same benefit is seen in women undergoing chemotherapy for ovarian cancer. What is seen in cell studies is not always replicated in human studies.

Stomach Ulcers

Stomach ulcers are caused by a type of bacteria called Helicobacter pylori. Studies (20, 21) suggest that cranberry products may reduce the incidence of stomach ulcers the same way cranberries promote urinary tract health and oral health; proanthocyanidins (PACs) in cranberries interfere with the bacteria’s ability to attach, in this case, to the stomach wall. As of May 2008, only one double-blind, randomized, controlled clinical study on humans has been published. (22) All subjects in this study were taking oral antibiotics, and all subjects who received antibiotics plus cranberry juice had lower levels of bacteria in their stomachs. Only women receiving cranberry juice plus antibiotics had statistically significant decreases in bacteria. Further research is needed to determine if this finding was a fluke or if women receive a greater benefit than men.