Cranberry Juice: Are There Health Benefits
The majority of the people are aware of this benefit because this is exactly why they opt for drinking cranberry juice in the first place.
15 Amazing Health Benefits of Cranberry Juice
Cranberry juice is a great and refreshing fruit juice option to keep in your fridge.
Cranberry juice is manufactured using all fresh and natural cranberries and then made available at your dispense easily.
But did you know that cranberry juice has numerous health benefits?
Cranberry juice benefits are just limitless when it comes to taking care of several functions that are taking place in your body.
So, why not explore how cranberry juice benefits could help us take care of ourselves?
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Is Cranberry Juice Good For You?
Yes, cranberry juice is good for you and has numerous benefits that we discuss below. It is recommended to choose unsweetened cranberry juice or to consume it in moderation as a part of a balanced diet. Overall, cranberry juice can be a healthy beverage option when consumed in moderation and without added sugar.
15 Health Benefits of Cranberry Juice
1. It Helps Prevent Urinary Tract Infections
The majority of the people are aware of this benefit because this is exactly why they opt for drinking cranberry juice in the first place.
According to research, cranberry juice is effective for preventing urinary tract infections.
Cranberry juice does this by helping keep the harmful bacteria and microbes away from sticking to the bladder walls, which may then cause them to start their infectious process.
This way, the risk of UTIs is prevented by up to 30% after drinking cranberry juice regularly.
2. It Helps Promote Heart Health
Cranberry juice was seen to impact the heart positively. It does so in numerous ways, starting with helping a person lose cholesterol from their body, which has a long-term impact in fighting against heart diseases.
Moving on, consuming cranberry juice was also seen to help people unclog their arteries that had been filled with lipid or cholesterol and were posing a significant risk factor for atherosclerosis.
3. It Could Help Protect Against Cancer
Cranberries are seen to be enriched with phenolic compounds. These phenolic compounds are greatly beneficial when dealing with a deadly disease like cancer.
This compound helps inhibit the growth of cancerous cells in the body and, in case cancer has already been diagnosed, helps stop its progression to worse states.
4. It Helps Fight Constipation
In the majority of people, constipation develops due to dehydration. People do not drink enough water, and as a result, the accumulated stool is not softened enough to pass outside the body easily.
However, if these people drink cranberry juice regularly, then they may escape the frustrations of dealing with constipation because cranberry juice helps fight off dehydration and also has a mild laxative effect, which could cause the stool to pass away easily.
5. It Helps Tone Down The Oxidative Stress
Cranberries are packed with antioxidants that greatly help the body fight off the free radicals and the resultant oxidative stress accumulating in the body for so long.
This benefit indirectly helps the body fight off some diseases before they get manifested by clearing out oxidative stress.
6. It Helps Reduce Acne
Cranberries contain a great amount of Vitamin C. This Vitamin C imposes its anti-inflammatory effects and helps acne-prone people fight off their acne. It reduces the development of comedones, whiteheads, pimples, etc.
Vitamin C in cranberries was also seen to cause a visible resolution in the acne scar marks.
7. It Helps During Colds and Flu
Thanks to the Vitamin C contained in cranberries, the immune system gets the necessary kick that it needs to function well and in a way that helps reduce the severity of the symptoms of common colds and flu.
However, keep in mind that cranberries do not prevent colds and flu from happening; they just tone down the symptoms. This could be of great help as colds and flu could be greatly disarming for the people suffering from them.
8. It Helps Reduce The Risk of Stomach Ulcers
Drinking cranberry juice regularly was found to stop the growth and progression of Helicobacter pylori, which is an important cause of stomach and duodenal ulcers.
Stomach ulcers are very painful. And once they appear, they persist for longer times while causing major inconvenience to the affected person. Cranberry juice proves to be a helpful product when dealing with problems like these.
9. It Promotes Healthy Hair
The Vitamin A and C contained in the cranberry juice help people with hair fall and other similar hair-related issues cope with this problem easily.
Both these vitamins promote hair growth while also making them shiny and healthier in appearance. This makes it a life-saving product for hair fall, but only if used for longer periods.
10. It Helps During Liver Detox
The polyphenols and antioxidants in cranberry juice serve an important function: to aid the liver in detoxifying itself and removing all the potential toxins from within itself.
The iron-chelating properties of these compounds make it easier for the liver to detoxify itself and stay in its optimal, healthy condition.
11. It Boosts The Hormonal Health
Cranberry juice is not just a refreshing drink. In reality, it has been seen to boost your internal health and functions and make you feel all good and refreshed in no time.
In terms of hormonal health, cranberry juice was seen to especially help women dealing with PCOS. It helped lower the testosterone levels in the bodies of those women who had PCOS.
When testosterone was lowered, it ultimately led to a decrease in the symptoms and risks of PCOS such as infertility, excessive hair growth, acne, etc.
12. It Helps You Sleep Better
Time for all the insomniacs to take notes! Cranberry juice is enriched with enormous quantities of Melatonin.
This Melatonin helps people sleep better as it is popularly known as the ‘sleep hormone.’ Therefore, some people even go on and drink cranberry juice before their bedtime so that it helps them go to sleep earlier and better than before.
13. It Improves Your Dental Health
Cranberry juice is considered a blessing in disguise for people dealing with oral health issues and dental problems.
All of this is possible due to the Proanthocyanidins contained in cranberry juice. This nutrient is the major component that helps fight off dental issues and prevent tooth decay.
Firstly, it prevents unhealthy bacteria in the mouth from sticking to the teeth. This prevents plaque from forming on the teeth. Secondly, it reduces damage to the tooth enamel by reducing the formation of acids in the mouth.
14. It Helps Maintain Blood Pressure
Cranberry juice has a significant effect on the blood pressure of those individuals who often deal with abnormal blood pressure levels throughout the day.
In these people, the flavonoid contained in cranberry juice helps dilate or ‘soften’ the arteries, which helps in increasing the blood flow through them.
With the restoration of the normal blood flow, the blood pressure is seen to return to its optimal state when you are a regular drinker of cranberry juice.
15. It Keeps Your Eyes Healthy
With lots of vitamins and their important nutrients, cranberry juice becomes of great help when keeping the eyes healthy and the vision brighter and better than ever.
It promotes healthy blood circulation to and from the eyes and keeps the blood vessels healthy and optimal.
Conclusion
Cranberries are a very important and healthy fruit that needs to be incorporated into your diet regularly to gain its benefits.
We saw above how consuming cranberry juice helps put several bodily functions into action while at the same time, also helping these functions proceed at a better and improved pace. It adds a much-needed boost to your immune system and ensures your health is maintained in its optimal state.
Therefore, it would be a great option to add cranberry juice to your daily routine.
Cranberry Juice: Are There Health Benefits?
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
- Vitamin C 40%
- Iron 6%
- Vitamin B6 0%
- Magnesium 0%
- Calcium 2%
- Vitamin D 0%
- Cobalamin 0%
- Vitamin A 2%
Cranberries (Vaccinium oxycoccos or Vaccinium macrocarpon) are small, red berries native to the United States and Canada. They grow on creeping, low-lying vines, and do best in peat-based soil and damp conditions. Cranberries are closely related to blueberries, bilberries, and huckleberries.
The United States is the world’s largest producer of cranberries. The state of Wisconsin alone produced 4.6 million barrels in 2019.
Cranberry juice might not be as popular as orange or apple juice, but it’s a delicious beverage with many health benefits. Some people drink it to help prevent urinary tract infections. While this is one of the most common reasons why people drink it, cranberry juice offers several other health benefits.
Nutrition Information
In addition to antioxidants, cranberry juice offers small amounts of several vitamins and minerals, including:
One cup of unsweetened cranberry juice contains:
- 116 calories
- 1 gram of protein
- 0 grams of fat
- 31 grams of carbohydrates
- 0 grams of fiber
- 31 grams of sugar
Potential Health Benefits of Cranberry Juice
Cranberry juice is an excellent source of vitamin C and provides 23% of your recommended daily allowance in an 8-ounce serving. Vitamin C plays many important roles in the body. A powerful antioxidant, it helps stop free radicals from damaging cells and DNA in your body. This may help reduce your risk of developing various diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and more.
Vitamin C also helps you heal after injuries, produce collagen, absorb iron, and boosts your immune system.
Vitamin C isn’t the only antioxidant in cranberry juice. An 8-ounce glass has approximately 20% of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin E, which is essential for the health of your skin, blood vessels, and heart.
Cranberry juice also has several other antioxidant compounds, including:
- Myricetin
- Peonidin
- Anthocyanins
- Proanthocyanidins
- Quercetin
These antioxidants are mainly found in the skins of fresh cranberries. Since cranberry juice doesn’t contain the skins it has lower concentrations of these antioxidants.
Some other health benefits of cranberry juice include:
Improved heart health. Anthocyanins in cranberry juice may help reduce hardening of the arteries. Several studies also show that cranberry juice may help reduce the chance of heart disease by improving cholesterol levels and lowering blood pressure.
Stomach health. Antioxidants in cranberry juice, particularly A-type proanthocyanidins, can help prevent the growth of a bacteria called Helicobacter pylori that causes stomach ulcers. Drinking cranberry juice may help reduce infections of this bacteria.
Immune system strength. Cranberry juice is rich in vitamin C, which helps keep your immune system healthy and functioning properly. It fights against oxidative stress from free radicals and helps kill harmful bacteria. Some studies also link low vitamin C intake to poor immune function.
Infection prevention. One of the most common causes of urinary tract infections (UTI) is the bacteria E. coli. The A-type proanthocyanidins in cranberry juice may help prevent the bacteria from collecting on the walls of the bladder and urinary tract. This reduces the risk of developing a UTI. Keep in mind that while cranberry juice may help reduce the risk of UTI, it can’t cure an active infection once one develops.
Potential Risks of Cranberry Juice
Make sure to read the labels of any cranberry juice brands you buy. Some brands add sugar. Drinking too much sugar can cause an upset stomach, diarrhea, and blood sugar spikes.
Cranberry juice may also cause problems with certain blood thinning medications. If you take blood thinners, be sure to speak with your doctor about how much cranberry juice is safe to drink.
Show Sources
World’s Healthiest Foods: “Cranberries.”
Statista: “Total Cranberry Production in the United States in 2019, By State (in 1,000 Barrels).”
Byerly. “APUS: An Introduction to Nutrition.”
Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal: “The Role of Vitamin E in Human Health and Some Diseases.”
Journal of Food Science: “Comparison of Health-Relevant Flavonoids in Commonly Consumed Cranberry Products.”
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition: “Higher Anthocyanin Intake Is Associated with Lower Arterial Stiffness and Central Blood Pressure in Women.”
The Journal of Nutrition: “Cranberry Juice Consumption Lowers Markers of Cardiometabolic Risk, Including Blood Pressure and C-Reactive Protein, Triglyceride, and Glucose Concentrations in Adults.”
Pathogens and Disease: “A High Molecular Mass Constituent of Cranberry Juice Inhibits Helicobacter pylori Adhesion to Human Gastric Mucus.”
The New England Journal of Medicine: “Helicobacter pylori Infection and the Development of Gastric Cancer.”
Helicobacter: “Efficacy of Cranberry Juice on Helicobacter pylori Infection: A Double-Blind, Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial.”
Nutrients: “Vitamin C and Immune Function.”
World Journal of Urology: “Reduction of Escherichia coli Adherence to Uroepithelial Bladder Cells After Consumption of Cranberry Juice: A Double-Blind Randomized Placebo-Controlled Cross-Over Trial.”
ESHA Research, Inc., Salem, Oregon.
