The tart and tangy flavor of cranberry is a favorite in many homes around the holidays. But did you know that this small, red berry is packed with health benefits as well? From reducing inflammation to fighting off urinary tract infections, cranberries are a powerhouse of nutrition. In this post, we’ll explore the amazing health benefits of cranberries, how to incorporate them into your diet, and why you should make cranberries a part of your daily routine. We’ll also share some tasty recipes to help you get the most out of this amazing fruit. So let’s get started and learn why cranberries are so good for you!
Cranberry Nutrition Facts and Calories Chart
Cranberries are a nutrient-rich superfood that can provide a multitude of health benefits. They contain vitamins A, C, and K, as well as fiber and manganese. They also contain a number of antioxidants, which can help to reduce the risk of certain diseases. Cranberries are also a good source of potassium, magnesium, iron, and folate. Eating cranberries regularly may reduce inflammation, improve heart health, and improve digestive health. Nutritional value per 100 g cranberries:
- Biotin: 0 mcg
- Calcium: 26 mg
- Carbohydrates (Carbs): 15 g
- Chloride: 4 mg
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
- Choline: 5 mg
- Chromium: 0.2 mcg
- Copper: 0.2 mg
- Dietary Fiber: 4 g
- Energy (Calories): 46 kcal
- Fat: 0.3 g
- Iodine: 0.3 mcg
- Iron: 0.4 mg
- Magnesium: 13 mg
- Manganese: 0.2 mg
- Molybdenum: 0.2 mcg
- Pantothenic Acid: 0.1 mg
- Phosphorus: 32 mg
- Potassium: 85 mg
- Protein: 0.6 g
- Saturated fat: 0.1 g
- Selenium: 0.2 mcg
- Sodium: 1 mg
- Sugars: 4.3 g
- Vitamin A: 19 IU
- Vitamin B1 (Thiamin): 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin): 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B3 (Niacin): 0.4 mg
- Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid): 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B6: 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B9 (Folate / Folic Acid): 5 mcg
- Vitamin B12: 0 mcg
- Vitamin C: 11.9 mg
- Vitamin D: 0 IU
- Vitamin E: 0.3 mg
- Vitamin K: 5.7 mcg
- Water: 84.5 g
- Zinc: 0.1 mg
Cranberry In India
A well-known household remedy, cranberry is commonly taken for urinary tract problems such as cystitis and urethritis. Sharp-flavored and rich in vitamin C, it has strong disinfectant properties within the urinary and gastrointestinal tracts. The commercial cranberry is a creeping evergreen plant of the heath family, whose red, acidic fruit is used in sauces and jellies served with savory and sweet foods and in a variety of fruit juice beverages.
- Scientific Binomial: Vaccinium macrocarpon
- Common English: Cranberry
- Ayurvedic
- Unani
- Sanskrit
- Hindi / Urdu
- Bengali
- Marathi
- Telugu: Vaakkaya
- Tamil: Anduvan / Kalavu
- Gujarati
- Kannada: Anduvan
- Malayalam: Kelamaram / Katavu / Kalavu
- Oriya
- Punjabi / Sindhi
- Assamese
- Kashmiri
- Konkani
- Manipuri
- Dogri
- Bhojpuri
Home Remedies
- Kidney Stones: For kidney stones, drink two 8-ounces glasses of cranberry juice each day. Research suggests that it may help reduce the amount of calcium in the urine. In a study of people with calcium stones, cranberry juice reduced the amount of calcium in the urine by 50%.
- Cystitis: Cranberry is a classic home remedy for cystitis. Drink up to 3/4 liter unsweetened juice a day for a few days to treat acute symptoms.
- Skin Care: Externally, cranberries can be used in creams and ointments for hemorrhoids, burns, minor wounds, and skin complaints.
- Reduces Blood Sugar Levels: Recent research has shown that the leaves will reduce blood sugar levels so they can be helpful in adult-onset diabetes that is under dietary control. The berries can be eaten stewed or fresh for digestive problems.
- Heart Health: Drink a glass of cranberry juice every day as it contain polyphenols, which help increase the resistance of LDL to oxidation, thus playing a part in protecting the arteries and reducing blood pressure and heart disease.
- Throat Pain: Cranberry juice is a great gargle and an even better drink. It contains salicylic acid which eases inflammation and pain in the throat.
- Stops Internal Bleeding: Drinking cranberry juice is also helpful to stop internal bleeding. If you have rectal bleeding from the hemorrhoid, drink a few ounces of cranberry juice and pomegranate juice (mixed half and half) between meals. That juice will act as a hemostatic, to stop the bleeding. To stop or prevent nosebleeds, you can drink cranberry juice, pomegranate juice, or a half-and-half mixture of the two.
- Canker Sores: For canker sores, between meals, drink 1/2 cup cranberry juice. That will help to heal the sore and relieve the burning sensation and irritation.
- Urinary Tract Infections: Cranberry juice has long been a folk remedy for bladder infections, and now science helps us understand why: it appears that cranberry juice keeps bacteria from clinging to the linings of the bladder and the urethra. For urinary tract infections, research has shown that cranberry juice does help women get rid of urinary tract infections faster. It also helps prevent them. There’s nothing in the juice to stop bacteria from multiplying, but it does contain an acid that prevents bacteria from sticking to the lining of the urinary tract. If they don’t stick, they are easily flushed away by your urine. Drink an 8-ounce glass daily, both as a way to prevent UTIs and to treat them. Cranberry contains constituents which make it difficult for bacteria to cling to the wall of the urinary tubules and intestines so that harmful bacteria are more readily flushed out of the body. Avoid juices with large amounts of added sugar, not least because sugar depresses the immune system.
- Prostate Health: Cranberry’s tonic and antiseptic action within the urinary tract makes it useful in problems affecting the prostate gland. Taken regularly as a juice or extract, it can help to ease frequency and other symptoms associated with an enlarged prostate.
- Asthma: 100% pure cranberry juice drinking daily is good for bladder ache. Crushed cranberries, boiled in distilled water and skinned, can be added to a cup of warm water to overcome an asthma attack. The berries contain an active ingredient similar to that in the drugs used to control asthma.
Side Effects
Very high doses may increase effect of prescribed anticoagulant medication, and can cause gastrointestinal upset. Do not combine cranberry with the blood- thinning medication warfarin (Coumadin) without first discussing with your doctor. Case reports suggest cranberry may augment the effect of Coumadin, further reducing the ability of blood to clot. Cranberries contain large amounts of oxalic acid, and should not be eaten raw.
FAQs.
Q. How to use cranberries extract supplement?
For bladder infection, Take 400 to 500 mg twice daily of cranberry extract capsules. Cranberry prevents bacteria from adhering to the bladder wall. This herb is best used for the prevention of urinary tract infections but can also be used as part of a comprehensive protocol for acute infection. Cranberry capsule extract (400 mg twice daily) for 3 months significantly reduced the recurrence of urinary tract infections in women ages eighteen to forty-five who had a history of reoccurring infections. To treat kidney stones, take 400 mg twice daily of a standardized extract or as directed on the container. Studies have shown that cranberry reduces urinary calcium levels in people with a history of kidney stones. It also is used to prevent urinary tract infections.