Cranberries for Health

Here’s a fun health
tip you can share with others regarding the cranberry which is the unsung hero
of Thanksgiving dinner.

Here are ten reasons why:

1) Cranberries
contain plenty of vitamin C–exactly what you need as the busy socializing of
the holiday season gets underway.

2) Cranberries are loaded with
antioxidants. A few years ago I told you about a study that examined more than
100 different types of fruits, vegetables, beans and other foods. Cranberries
ranked number six, right behind blueberries, and well ahead of strawberries,
apples, cherries, and plums.

3) The cranberry is an excellent source of
resveratrol, the anti-inflammatory compound that’s been shown to protect heart
and nerve cells while also assisting in DNA repair–one of the keys to fighting
cancer.

4) And speaking of cancer, cranberry bioflavonoids have been
linked to prevention of several cancers, including breast, prostate, colon and
lung. In fact, scientists have discovered that cranberry components play a role
in no less than five different anti-cancer mechanisms.

5) Cranberries
help increase HDL cholesterol.

6) Cranberry juice helps prevent gum
disease by killing bacteria that promotes dental plaque.

7) Cranberry
juice helps prevent Helicobacter pylori from attaching to the gastric wall. H.
pylori is the cause of nearly all gastric ulcers and also contributes to food
allergies.

8) As many women know, cranberry juice helps clear up urinary
tract infections. But a New England Journal of Medicine study shows that
cranberry juice can actually prevent the infection in the first place. It stops
E. coli from attaching to the bladder wall.

9) Cranberries reduce risk
of kidney stone formation.

10) Cranberries relieve asthma by dilating
the bronchial tubes.

And here’s a final bonus reason to enjoy
cranberries: They taste great. Well, as long as you like tart, of course. And
that can be a problem because sugar is often used to offset tartness. It’s
especially a problem for those who use cranberry juice to fight off urinary
tract infection because sugar actually feeds the infection.

There you
have it: 10-plus-one reasons to indulge yourself when the cranberry sauce is
passed around the table tomorrow.