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Cranberries; They're Not Just For Thanksgiving Anymore!
When planning our Thanksgiving menu, most of us do not hesitate to serve cranberries. However, according to new research, neglecting this fruit throughout the rest of the year may not be good for our health.
Cranberries, in addition to being good sources of fiber, contain vitamin C and proanthocyanidins, two antioxidants that are concentrated in the seeds and the crimson color of the skin of the fruit.
According to current research, cranberries may help prevent heart disease by decreasing the chance of the oxidation of LDL cholesterol. LDL cholesterol that has been oxidized has a better chance of clogging arteries and increasing our risk of heart disease. The ability of cranberries to decrease the risk of heart disease has been compared to the effectiveness of red wine's ability to do the same thing. In addition, cranberries have been shown to reduce the risk of cancer tumors in preliminary studies in mice.
As if the heart saving benefits weren't enough, women, listen up! The proanthocyanidins found in cranberries have been shown to prevent urinary tract infections (UTI's) by blocking the bacteria that causes the infection from attacking the walls of the urinary tract. These proanthocyanidins bind the bacteria and then both are flushed out in the urine. Unfortunately, cranberries are believed to be a good source of prevention and cannot cure a UTI once it has established itself.
What should we do? Research has shown that just 10-ounces of cranberry juice cocktail or ½ cup of dried cranberries per day is enough to produce healthy benefits.
Interesting cranberry facts:
The state beverage of Massachusetts is cranberry juice, a tribute to the great Massachusetts cranberry industry, which grows the largest crop in the world.
With more than 500 growers producing 38 percent of the nation's cranberry supply, cranberries are the number one food crop in Massachusetts.
The cranberry industry provides more than 5,500 jobs and more than $200 million to the Massachusetts economy
When planning our Thanksgiving menu, most of us do not hesitate to serve cranberries. However, according to new research, neglecting this fruit throughout the rest of the year may not be good for our health.
Cranberries, in addition to being good sources of fiber, contain vitamin C and proanthocyanidins, two antioxidants that are concentrated in the seeds and the crimson color of the skin of the fruit.
According to current research, cranberries may help prevent heart disease by decreasing the chance of the oxidation of LDL cholesterol. LDL cholesterol that has been oxidized has a better chance of clogging arteries and increasing our risk of heart disease. The ability of cranberries to decrease the risk of heart disease has been compared to the effectiveness of red wine's ability to do the same thing. In addition, cranberries have been shown to reduce the risk of cancer tumors in preliminary studies in mice.
As if the heart saving benefits weren't enough, women, listen up! The proanthocyanidins found in cranberries have been shown to prevent urinary tract infections (UTI's) by blocking the bacteria that causes the infection from attacking the walls of the urinary tract. These proanthocyanidins bind the bacteria and then both are flushed out in the urine. Unfortunately, cranberries are believed to be a good source of prevention and cannot cure a UTI once it has established itself.
What should we do? Research has shown that just 10-ounces of cranberry juice cocktail or ½ cup of dried cranberries per day is enough to produce healthy benefits.
Interesting cranberry facts:
The state beverage of Massachusetts is cranberry juice, a tribute to the great Massachusetts cranberry industry, which grows the largest crop in the world.
With more than 500 growers producing 38 percent of the nation's cranberry supply, cranberries are the number one food crop in Massachusetts.
The cranberry industry provides more than 5,500 jobs and more than $200 million to the Massachusetts economy