Cranberries and Health Benefits

Vitamins that are in a cranberry are as follows: Vitamin A, B6, B12, Folic Acid, Niacin, Riboflavin, Thiamin, Vitamin C, E and K. Minerals include Calcium, Copper, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Phosphorus, Potassium, Selenium, Sodium and Zinc.

You can find cranberries sold fresh, frozen, as a juice, dried or in a tablet and capsule form.

• With all this said there are people that should consult their doctor before consuming any type of cranberry products.
• There are high levels of oxalate in cranberries, which may increase the risk of kidney stones.
• People that take warfarin a blood-thinning drug should talk to their physician before taking a cranberry supplement, as it may not interact well with the warfarin.
• Anyone that has diabetes should check the sugar content of the juice.

This little red plump berry that many people only eat at Holiday time to accompany their turkey dinner has many health benefits that people are unaware of.

• For years women have been drinking cranberry juice to ward off bladder infections.
• This amazing berry is now known to protect the cardiovascular system and the liver. Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer are among the benefits of adding cranberries to your diet. As an Antioxidant these little gems have more antioxidant phenols than 19 of the most regularly eaten fruits.
• Studies have shown that by drinking cranberry juice you may get the same result and benefits as taking an aspirin for an anti-inflammatory.
• As a preventative for cancer, consuming cranberries are helpful for breast, colon, lung and prostate cancers.
• There has been research done that cranberries can be a defense against bad cholesterol. The studies and findings of how the cranberry can benefit our health is amazing.

The cranberry is native to North America. American Indians not only enjoyed cranberries that were made into a sauce, they also used the cranberry for a red dye, in a poultice for wounds, which helped to stop the bleeding, as well as working as an antibiotic.

Cranberries are a bog plant that grow on vines, producing berries year after year. There are cranberry vines that are 150 years old. In Eastern Canada these berries at one time grew wild. This fruit does not actually grow in water as most people think but it does need a good supply of water and drainage.

Anytime we have turkey, I always make fresh cranberry sauce. It is so simple to make and tastes better than any of the canned sauce that you buy at your local grocers. Simply follow the directions on the back of the bag of cranberries. As long as you have a pot, water, and sugar you are good to go. I make this in the morning, chill in a dish that I will be serving it from, and refrigerate it until the meal is served.