What is Cranberry ?
Scientific Name : Vaccinium macrocarpon
Common Names : Cranberry, American Cranberry, Bog cranberry
Cranberry is used as food and medicine by Native Americans for centuries. Cranberry stems are slender with small evergreen leaves that are speckled with tiny dots underneath. Cranberry blooms pink flowers with very distinct reflexed petals, leaving the style and stamens fully exposed and pointing forward. Cranberry is related to blueberry, huckleberry and bilberry. Cranberry has an edible fruit that is initially white but turns to black red color when ripe.
Cranberries are cultivated as commercial crop in some northern states of America and Canadian provinces. Cranberry fruits are processed into products such as juice, jam, sauce and sweetened dried cranberries.
Cranberry being rich in nutrients and fiber is good for health. But what really makes cranberry special is its rich array of phytomutrients that brings varieties of health benefits, from being an antioxidant, anti-cancer to anti-inflammatory and others. The phytonutrients found in cranberries are anthocyanins, flavanoids, phenolic acid, proanthocyanidins and triterpenoids. These phytonutrients has been found to act in synergy providing optimum health benefits if compared to the sum of individual phytonutrient effect.
Common Names : Cranberry, American Cranberry, Bog cranberry
Cranberry is used as food and medicine by Native Americans for centuries. Cranberry stems are slender with small evergreen leaves that are speckled with tiny dots underneath. Cranberry blooms pink flowers with very distinct reflexed petals, leaving the style and stamens fully exposed and pointing forward. Cranberry is related to blueberry, huckleberry and bilberry. Cranberry has an edible fruit that is initially white but turns to black red color when ripe.
Cranberries are cultivated as commercial crop in some northern states of America and Canadian provinces. Cranberry fruits are processed into products such as juice, jam, sauce and sweetened dried cranberries.
Cranberry being rich in nutrients and fiber is good for health. But what really makes cranberry special is its rich array of phytomutrients that brings varieties of health benefits, from being an antioxidant, anti-cancer to anti-inflammatory and others. The phytonutrients found in cranberries are anthocyanins, flavanoids, phenolic acid, proanthocyanidins and triterpenoids. These phytonutrients has been found to act in synergy providing optimum health benefits if compared to the sum of individual phytonutrient effect.
Health Benefits ?
Antioxidant benefits from Cranberry:
The antioxidant action of cranberry is the primary health benefit that this herb is known for. Cranberry is rich in natural antioxidant nutrients such as manganese and vitamin C but what makes cranberry a unique and potent antioxidant is that it contains an array of phytonutrients. The phytonutrients found in cranberry act together in synergy in working against free radicals in the body. Antioxidant chemicals such as phenolic acid, proanthocyanidin, anthocyain, flavanoids and triterpenoid have been found in laboratory studies as effective in removing free radical intermediates at the same time inhibit other cell oxidation
Anti-Cancer Benefits of Cranberry:
Another compelling health benefit derived from consuming cranberry is that it has anti-cancer activity. While consuming cranberry may not be a cure for cancer but studies suggest that dietary intake of cranberry can help prevent cancer or supplement other cancer therapies and treatment.
Cranberry has anti-inflammatory benefit:
Cranberry also has an anti-inflammatory health benefit. The phytonutrients in cranberry has been found to effectively reduce unwanted inflammation.
In a study conducted about periodontitis, a chronic inflammatory disease affecting oral tissues. Cranberry fraction was found to be a potent inhibitor of the pro-inflammatory cytokine and chemokine responses induced by lipopolysaccharides . This result suggests that cranberry constituents have value for the development of a new therapeutic approach for the prevention and treatment of periodontitis.
Cranberry protects against Urinary Tract Infection (UTI):
Cranberry has long been used as folkloric treatment against urinary problems including urinary tract infection or UTI. This medicinal benefit of cranberry has been studied in laboratory and results show that cranberry has been effective in vitro and in vivo in animals for the prevention of urinary tract infection (UTI). Cranberry appears to work by inhibiting the adhesion of type I and P-fimbriated uropathogens (e.g. uropathogenic E. coli) to the uroepithelium, thus impairing colonization and subsequent infection.
Cranberry has Anti-microbial property:
Recent studies have shown that cranberries may have an anti-adhesion effect on certain harmful bacteria in the mouth and stomach that cause gum disease and stomach ulcers. This anti-microbial effect of the cranberry may be attributed to the unique structure of compounds found in it which are called proanthocyanidins, or PACs. These constituents in cranberry are responsible for this anti-adhesion benefit. Other laboratory research also suggests that cranberries may also have beneficial effect against gastrointestinal viruses by preventing the virus from attaching to red blood cells or infecting host cells
Cranberry has Cardiovascular Benefits:
The synergestic effect of cranberry in providing antioxidant health benefit as we al anti-inflammatory benefit from its phytonutrients has been considered to offer cardiovascular benefits as well. In a sample conducted in people. Subjects where cranberry has been included in their diets have indicated a reduced risk of developing atherosclerosis (the thickening of the blood vessels). It has been found out that cranberry may be responsible in inhibiting the activation of two enzymes, inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclo-oxygenase 2, that are pivotal in the development of arthrosclerosis. Cranberry prevents the activation of these enzymes by blocking the inflammatory cytokine-messaging which makes it beneficial in cardiovascular protection.
The antioxidant activity of cranberry, likewise play a key role in cranberry's acclaimed cardiovascular benefits. In laboratory studies in animals, intake of cranberry extract has reduced the development of high blood pressure in mice making it beneficial against cardiovascular problems. The cranberry extract acts by reducing the oxidative stress inside the blood vessels thus preventing the over constriction of the blood vessels and the unwanted increase in blood pressure.
Moreover, cranberry has been found to lower the LDL-cholesterol level in the blood while at the same time increasing the good HDL-cholesterol level. The oxidative and anti-inflammatory constituents found in cranberry have been found to provide these health benefits.
The antioxidant action of cranberry is the primary health benefit that this herb is known for. Cranberry is rich in natural antioxidant nutrients such as manganese and vitamin C but what makes cranberry a unique and potent antioxidant is that it contains an array of phytonutrients. The phytonutrients found in cranberry act together in synergy in working against free radicals in the body. Antioxidant chemicals such as phenolic acid, proanthocyanidin, anthocyain, flavanoids and triterpenoid have been found in laboratory studies as effective in removing free radical intermediates at the same time inhibit other cell oxidation
Anti-Cancer Benefits of Cranberry:
Another compelling health benefit derived from consuming cranberry is that it has anti-cancer activity. While consuming cranberry may not be a cure for cancer but studies suggest that dietary intake of cranberry can help prevent cancer or supplement other cancer therapies and treatment.
Cranberry has anti-inflammatory benefit:
Cranberry also has an anti-inflammatory health benefit. The phytonutrients in cranberry has been found to effectively reduce unwanted inflammation.
In a study conducted about periodontitis, a chronic inflammatory disease affecting oral tissues. Cranberry fraction was found to be a potent inhibitor of the pro-inflammatory cytokine and chemokine responses induced by lipopolysaccharides . This result suggests that cranberry constituents have value for the development of a new therapeutic approach for the prevention and treatment of periodontitis.
Cranberry protects against Urinary Tract Infection (UTI):
Cranberry has long been used as folkloric treatment against urinary problems including urinary tract infection or UTI. This medicinal benefit of cranberry has been studied in laboratory and results show that cranberry has been effective in vitro and in vivo in animals for the prevention of urinary tract infection (UTI). Cranberry appears to work by inhibiting the adhesion of type I and P-fimbriated uropathogens (e.g. uropathogenic E. coli) to the uroepithelium, thus impairing colonization and subsequent infection.
Cranberry has Anti-microbial property:
Recent studies have shown that cranberries may have an anti-adhesion effect on certain harmful bacteria in the mouth and stomach that cause gum disease and stomach ulcers. This anti-microbial effect of the cranberry may be attributed to the unique structure of compounds found in it which are called proanthocyanidins, or PACs. These constituents in cranberry are responsible for this anti-adhesion benefit. Other laboratory research also suggests that cranberries may also have beneficial effect against gastrointestinal viruses by preventing the virus from attaching to red blood cells or infecting host cells
Cranberry has Cardiovascular Benefits:
The synergestic effect of cranberry in providing antioxidant health benefit as we al anti-inflammatory benefit from its phytonutrients has been considered to offer cardiovascular benefits as well. In a sample conducted in people. Subjects where cranberry has been included in their diets have indicated a reduced risk of developing atherosclerosis (the thickening of the blood vessels). It has been found out that cranberry may be responsible in inhibiting the activation of two enzymes, inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclo-oxygenase 2, that are pivotal in the development of arthrosclerosis. Cranberry prevents the activation of these enzymes by blocking the inflammatory cytokine-messaging which makes it beneficial in cardiovascular protection.
The antioxidant activity of cranberry, likewise play a key role in cranberry's acclaimed cardiovascular benefits. In laboratory studies in animals, intake of cranberry extract has reduced the development of high blood pressure in mice making it beneficial against cardiovascular problems. The cranberry extract acts by reducing the oxidative stress inside the blood vessels thus preventing the over constriction of the blood vessels and the unwanted increase in blood pressure.
Moreover, cranberry has been found to lower the LDL-cholesterol level in the blood while at the same time increasing the good HDL-cholesterol level. The oxidative and anti-inflammatory constituents found in cranberry have been found to provide these health benefits.