Cranberry juice comes from a small berry, which is also known by its English name: “cranberry”. Well-known for its deliciously sweet taste, this fruit is also a treasure trove of natural antioxidants. Here’s what you need to know about the benefits of cranberry juice, a drink with unsuspected properties.
Cranberry Juice: Origin And Composition
The cranberry berry comes from a plant that has many names: cranberry, North American lingonberry, lingonberry, cranberry, etc.
This small berry is very common and its use in industry is widespread. The richness of its composition is no stranger to this.
The cranberry, rich in vitamin C and various flavonoids, is one of the most antioxidant fruits in the world. It is very difficult to find equivalents among other fruits. Likewise, the cranberry shines with the diversity of its natural antioxidants. But what exactly is it made of?
The Composition Of The Cranberry
The cranberry whose juice is consumed contains vitamin C, citric acid and various phenolic acids. You can also find organic acids, simple carbohydrates (fructose, D-mannose, glucose, sucrose) and polyols. And that’s not all, since many other components complete this list.
This is the case of proanthocyanidols, resveratrol, anthocyanosides, quinic acid and hydroxycinnamic acid. Of course, this list ends with different natural flavonoids and antioxidants that the cranberry berry brings together. And to understand its health benefits, you have to take an interest in its major active ingredients!
Antioxidants, Active Principles Of Cranberries
Vitamin C is a naturally antioxidant, and it is present in large amounts in cranberries (and in their juice, by association).
To it are added flavonoids, which are antioxidant molecules present in most plants. Only, there are several, which are more or less concentrated depending on the fruit or plant in question.
Here, the cranberry contains three main flavonoids, which are active ingredients present in very large quantities. These are the natural antioxidants that block the harmful effects of free radicals on the body.
Cranberry juice owes its red color to anthocyanins (a flavonoid), which happens to be a natural pigment. Resveratrol is a polyphenol belonging to the stilbenes.
These are powerful antioxidants. Thus, we quickly understand that the unusual composition of the fruit gives it its health properties. The benefits of cranberry juice are directly related to the presence of several powerful natural antioxidants in its composition.
Cranberry Juice Health Benefits
Here is the detail of the benefits of cranberry juice: urinary tract infections, cardiovascular prevention, anti-cancer properties… They are very varied and concern different body systems.
Fight Against Cystitis With Cranberry
The properties of cranberry juice are known worldwide, especially in terms of preventing and treating urinary tract infections (or cystitis) (1). Cranberry (juice, infusion, dried fruit, food supplements, etc.) helps prevent infection of the various organs of the urinary system, especially in women.
These organs are the urethra, the bladder or even the kidneys! Cranberry juice contains a very special flavonoid: proanthocyanidin type A.
This molecule prevents the bacteria responsible for most urinary tract infections (Escherichia coli.) from adhering to the walls of the bladder. And therefore, to cause an infection.
Due to its powerful antioxidant properties, cranberry juice facilitates the elimination of bacteria by stimulating urination and limiting possible anchor points for bacteria.
People who suffer or wish to prevent the risk of urinary tract infection can incorporate cranberries into their diet, in all its forms. It can be a very effective preventive solution in the context of recurrent cystitis.
Finally, cranberry is also a powerful antibacterial that acts on various other bacteria such as: Vaccinium oxycoccos, Vaccinium myrtillus and Vaccinium vitis-idæa. Its juice can be consumed in order to prevent infections that usually affect the urethra, kidneys or bladder.
Prevent Cardiovascular Disease
Cranberry juice has been the subject of many studies, many of which focus on the beneficial effects of its flavonoids.
These are particularly useful in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. The natural antioxidants present in the cranberry help eliminate free radicals present in large numbers in the body. And they block its adverse health effects.
Indeed, free radicals promote the development of cardiovascular diseases. Cranberry juice therefore promotes the prevention of the risk of atherosclerosis, which leads to other health problems and diseases.
Additionally, the active ingredients (antioxidants) in cranberry juice inhibit the oxidation of bad cholesterol and the aggregation of blood platelets (4). Regular consumption of this drink helps reduce blood pressure and is effective against high blood pressure.
Finally, the benefits of cranberry juice also extend to the heart muscle, since it is beneficial for the functioning of the heart!
Restore Comfort And Digestive Well-being
Cranberry juice therefore acts on the urinary system. But it also preserves our intestinal system! Studies conducted on the berry show that its juice helps prevent and fight Helicobacter pylori infections, which affect the stomach. This bacterium usually causes various stomach problems as well as chronic gastritis.
The consumption of cranberry juice in addition to a treatment adapted to these intestinal problems offers real support.
This drink helps eliminate the bacteria from the intestinal system quickly and effectively (6). Similarly, cranberry juice can be combined here with marjoram to offer superior relief to people who suffer from an intestinal infection, or to prevent it.
Fill Up On Nutrients, Including Vitamin C
Cranberries contain many nutrients, including a high concentration of vitamin C (or ascorbic acid). It is also one of the best sources, alongside sea buckthorn berry, camu camu or acerola, in particular.
In the past, sailors consumed cranberry juice to prevent scurvy, a disease associated with lack of vitamin C. Cranberry juice is an excellent source of vitamin C and essential nutrients.
We explained it at the beginning of the article: cranberries contain very powerful natural antioxidants (flavonoids).
Precisely, vitamin C is also the most antioxidant vitamin there is. Its effects are therefore added to those of the antioxidants naturally present in the berry.
To preserve these nutrients, you must choose fruits from organic farming, grown in season and in the most natural conditions possible.
Likewise, the cold extraction of its juice guarantees the preservation of its many nutrients, including vitamin C and the other antioxidants of the berry.
Preserve The Brain System And Its Cells
The cranberry berry, due to its antioxidant properties, is of considerable interest in terms of cell protection. As such, it also acts on the preservation of neurons.
Cranberry juice helps slow down, and sometimes even reverse, the phenomenon of loss of communication that can appear between neurons and different brain cells.
By consuming this fruit juice, it is possible to prevent age-related neuronal deficiencies, and all those that affect cognition and the motor mechanisms of our brain system.
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Finally, the consumption of berries (blueberries, blueberries, cranberries), fruits and vegetables helps preserve memory and prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. These foods can also significantly slow the development of the disease for people who have it.
Anti-cancer Properties For Cranberry Juice
Because of its content of active ingredients (very powerful natural antioxidants), cranberry juice fascinates the scientific sphere.
Necessarily, researchers have tried to identify the potential benefits of cranberry juice in the prevention and treatment of various cancers.
Epidemiological studies carried out to date show that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables helps prevent the risk of cancer.
We now know that cranberry juice also helps prevent the risk of developing cancer. Its active ingredients block the proliferation and development of cancer cells. Here, the little berry is shown to be particularly effective against breast, lung, colon and prostate cancers.
Cranberry juice contains ursolic acid. It is a molecule belonging to the family of triterpenes, with considerable anti-cancer potential.
This is likely to slow down or block the proliferation of cancer cells of different types, especially in the face of liver or breast cancer.
Other Benefits Of Cranberry Juice
The fruits and vegetables we eat contain sugar (fructose), which is naturally present in their composition.
We now know that the fructose in fruits (like cranberries) has beneficial effects. And especially on dental health. Cranberry juice may therefore help prevent the onset of dental plaque, tooth decay or periodontal disease.
However, you should not consume just any juice. Many on the market contain added sugars, which are harmful to dental health.
It is therefore necessary to choose a natural, organic cranberry juice, cold extracted and without added sugar. Or, you can make it yourself from fresh berries and a juicer! If you find its taste too sour, consider healthy alternatives to refined sugar to sweeten your drink.
Cranberry Juice Benefits: Conclusion
The consumption of cranberry juice is ideal in the prevention of many diseases. Some of them may be heavier than others. From a simple urinary tract infection to cancer, the panel of diseases that cranberry juice helps prevent and cure is very wide. With antioxidants as major active ingredients, this fruit juice is a great ally. It supports us against the evils of everyday life and the most serious pathologies. It would be a shame to deprive yourself of the health benefits of cranberry juice. Especially when you know that they are so numerous and diverse!
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