Cranberries are a healthy fruit with a unique blend of vitamins and minerals that should be included as a part of any healthy diet. Not only are cranberries high in vitamin and mineral content, but they also contain certain chemicals that bestow very useful benefits to the body. Cranberries also contain a good amount of dietary fiber.
Cranberries contain a good amount vitamin C. Vitamin C is needed to prevent scurvy and for healthy skin and gums. Vitamin C is also used by the body to repair injured skin. Vitamin C is also needed to allow the body to absorb calcium and iron in the intestines and this is a vital vitamin with regards to our bones and teeth. Vitamin C also functions as an antioxident in the body. Antioxidents help the body remove free radicals from the body. Free radicals are harmful and very reactive chemicals that react with the DNA of cells and cause most types of cancers. The FDA daily requirement of vitamin C is only 60mg. However, most health experts agree that the 60mg is a very low minimum, and important health benefits can be acheived by increasing vitamin C daily intake to 100mg up to 1000mg.
Cranberries have long been known to treat and prevent urinary tract infections. Recent studies have proven this as a fact. The juice of a cranberry contains several compounds that act as an antibacterial agent and prevent E. Coli, the bacteria largely responsible for urinary tract infections, from sticking to the walls of the urinary tract. Because of the chemicals found in the cranberry juice, the E. Coli is flushed from the body during urination and is not able to cause an infection.
Cranberries also contain a chemical called quinic acid. Quinic acid prevents calcium and certain phosphate chemicals from binding together. The combination of these two chemicals lead to the formation of kidney stones, thus cranberries can help prevent the inital stages of kidney stones and are a great preventive medicine for people who suffer from frequent stones.
Cranberries lower the blood levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) and raises good cholesterol (HDL) in the the bloodstream. The change in the levels of these two types of cholesterol help to prevent heart disease and avoid a cardiovascular even such as a heart attack or stroke.