Cranberry Health Benefits, Properties, and Uses

Cranberry is a small evergreen shrub that produces a small, red berry called the cranberry. The cranberry plant’s botanical name is Vaccinium oxycoccos and it belongs to the Ericaceae family. Cranberries are closely related to blueberries.^1,2

Cranberry bushes grow native throughout North America in marshy areas. Cranberry bushes of other varieties also grow in Asia and throughout Central Europe. Cranberries are very high in demand as a part of North American diets. Because of this there are thousands of acres across the United States and Canada reserved for cranberry farming.^2,3

Cranberry Health Uses and Health Benefits

Cranberry health benefits are well-known to be associated with powerful antioxidant properties. In fact, cranberries are one of the fruits with the highest concentration of antioxidant substances. Cranberries are packed full of flavonoids like quercetin and kaempferol, which contribute to a lower risk of disease.^3,4

Cranberry health benefits come from other nutritional compounds including vitamin C, dietary fiber, manganese, vitamin E and many more minerals.³

One of the most studied uses of cranberry for natural health is cranberry for UTI treatment. Because of its antioxidant power and nutrition, other cranberry health benefits include:⁴

• Reducing inflammation
• Preventing cancer
• Boosting immune system
• Restoring digestive health
• Preventing and treating heart diseases

Cranberry uses include helping to treat and prevent the following conditions:

• Yeast Infection - Cranberry health benefits include helping to balance bacteria. By reducing bad bacteria and increasing friendly bacteria, cranberries can help to prevent and treat yeast infections.
• Bacterial Vaginosis - Cranberries offer support for bacterial vaginosis infections by boosting immune system function and lowering the presence of bad bacteria.
• Gastritis - Cranberries help support the digestive tract by reducing toxins and bloating, which can help ease gastritis.
• Bladder Infection (Cystitis) - The antibacterial properties in cranberries help to prevent bad bacteria from taking hold in the bladder and urinary tract, which helps to treat and prevent bladder infections.
• Multiple Sclerosis (MS) - A common symptom of advanced MS is bladder and urinary problems. Cranberries can help to prevent and treat urinary tract infections in people diagnosed with MS.

Cranberry Side Effects and Precautions

Research has shown that cranberry side effects may include enhancing the effect of blood thinning medication like Warfarin. Because cranberries promote increased urination, kidney stones may also be another potential cranberry side effect.⁴

References

1. https://www.britannica.com/plant/cranberry
2. https://nccih.nih.gov/health/cranberry
3. https://draxe.com/cranberries/ 
4. http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=145