Cranberries, beneficial and medicinal properties, composition and contraindications

Fruits and berries are an important part of a balanced diet. One of these healthy foods is cranberries. Dried cranberries are a valuable dried fruit due to the huge amount of useful substances it contains. A natural preservative, benzoic acid, preserves all vitamins and minerals in the berry for a long time. Therefore, dried cranberries have the same beneficial properties as fresh ones. Due to its valuable properties, it is used in a balanced diet, cosmetology and traditional medicine.

What kind of berry is this

Wild cranberries are a member of the Heather family and are common in northern latitudes. This is a close “relative” of lingonberries, blueberries, and blueberries. It is a small, green subshrub with spreading shoots. The berries growing in the swamp are quite small (up to 16 mm in diameter). In the places where they grow, everything is covered with a “red carpet”.

The shape of the fruit is round, in some varieties it resembles an ellipse. Colors change depending on ripeness. Unripe cranberries are pink with light sides and a dense consistency, while ripe ones are bright red and juicy.

Cranberries are late berries, ripening in September-October. It is believed that a fully ripe berry is one that has overwintered under the snow. By spring, the sharply sour taste changes to sweetish. Cranberries are 90% water; when picked, they burst easily in your hands, and only 10% are active components.

Thanks to organic acids, the fruit is well stored and helps preserve other products. The Indians rolled pieces of meat in its juice and stored them for a long time.

Where do cranberries grow?

The common cranberry is an inhabitant of ancient swamps, the age of which is estimated at millions of years. Her favorite places are peat, tundra and sphagnum bogs, which are located in damp coniferous forests and swampy lowlands. Cranberries in swamps grow only in ecologically clean places, where there is fresh water, forest air, and a lot of light. It bears fruit well in areas where humans rarely set foot.

The time when cranberries are harvested is in summer, autumn and spring. The “summer” berry is hard, not ripe, and contains a small amount of useful substances. “Autumn” acquires a purple color and juiciness: this is the time to collect healthy berries. But there are lovers of “spring” cranberries, which become sweeter, but practically cannot be stored.

Manual collection is very difficult and time-consuming. “Cranberry plantations” are found in different places. For the miracle berry you need to go in good equipment: viscous soil under your feet, mosquitoes, horseflies and picking each individual berry is not for the weak. There are hand-held collection containers, but environmentalists prohibit them. Such devices injure the bushes, which may not recover. So the supply of berries is gradually depleted.

Any schoolchild will answer the question where cranberries grow in Russia. Since we live in the middle and northern latitudes, sour berries are common in the northern regions: Siberia, the Urals, Kamchatka, Sakhalin, and the Far Eastern District.

A variety of wild large-fruited shrub common in Canada. The berry grows up to 25 mm in diameter. Based on wild plants, cultivated large-fruited varieties have been created that can be grown on your own plot.

Cranberry face masks

You should not expect a quick effect from homemade masks - the layers of the epidermis are renewed within thirty to sixty days, which is determined by age: at 25 years old this happens in a month, at 60 years old - in two. Masks should be alternated with each other and used in a course of no longer than six weeks, and the first results should be assessed after at least a month. Compared to highly effective industrial analogues, such products are much cheaper, and their composition is completely natural. Cosmetologists recommend combining external skincare methods with the use of berries internally.

For aging skin

Before preparing a home remedy, it is better to prepare all the necessary accessories in advance and select the ingredients and measure the quantities:

cranberries/two tablespoons;
liquid honey/one teaspoon;
olive oil/one tablespoon.

Preparation: Wash the cranberries and place in a colander. When the excess liquid has drained, mash the fruits of the bush into a puree, add honey, then olive oil, mix thoroughly.

Application: Distribute over facial dermis that has been previously cleansed with gel or foam, then steamed and deeply cleansed with a scrub. Keep for at least twenty minutes, and after this time, remove with warm water.

Result: Moisturizing, nourishing, refreshing, pronounced rejuvenating effect.

For wrinkles

Before preparing a home remedy, it is better to prepare all the necessary accessories in advance and select the ingredients, measure the quantities:

cranberries/one tablespoon;
avocado/half;
chicken egg white/one piece;
olive oil/one tablespoon.

Preparation: Wash the cranberries and place in a colander. When the excess liquid has drained, mash the fruits of the bush into a puree. Wash the avocado, cut half with a knife, remove the pit, extract the pulp, combine with cranberry puree. Pour olive oil into the resulting mass, then the egg white, beaten until fluffy, mix thoroughly.

Application: Distribute over facial dermis that has been previously cleansed with gel or foam, then steamed and deeply cleansed with a scrub. Keep for at least fifteen and more than twenty minutes, and after this time, remove with warm water.

Result: Cleansing, toning, moisturizing, eliminating fine wrinkles, nutrition.

Composition and nutritional value

Despite the significant water content in the composition, there are more than enough nutrients in the berry. The chemical composition of cranberries is a unique combination of vitamins and minerals that help people maintain immunity, restore strength and energy. The benefits of the fruit are enormous; they contain:

“Vitamin cocktail” from group B, K, A, PP, C. What vitamins are contained in the greatest quantities in cranberries? Of course, this is ascorbic acid.
Mineral complex consisting of macro- and microelements.
A large set of organic acids: citric, malic, ursolic, chlorogenic, benzoic and others. They are what give cranberries their rich, sour taste.
A small amount of sugars: glucose and fructose.
A set of antioxidants.
Pectins and fiber (dietary fiber). The pectin content is quite high.

The healing properties of ripe cranberries are associated with this unique composition. As for the presence of carbohydrates, fats, proteins BJU, their content is extremely insignificant:

proteins – 0.5 g;
fats – 0.2 g;
carbohydrates – 3.7 g per 100 g of product.

Carbohydrates predominate, but they do not add much calorie content to the product.

Contraindications to eating cranberries

Doctors do not recommend consuming cranberries if you have a stomach or duodenal ulcer. They attribute this to the main property of cranberries, their strong acidity. Despite the fact that the benefits of cranberries are significant in cases of low acidity, gastritis with high acidity is a contraindication to the use of this berry. The low calorie content of cranberries determines their careful use by people with dystrophy and underweight. This is due to the fact that the properties of cranberries such as low calorie content and fat burning can lead to exhaustion.

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Beneficial properties for the human body

Many people living in the northern regions are well aware of the benefits of cranberries and why they help. It is usually frozen and used for preparing dishes or drinks at any time of the year. The miracle berry perfectly retains all its beneficial properties:

Lowers temperature and relieves inflammation. Effectively affects viruses, but in complex therapy. Can enhance the effects of antibiotics.
Strengthens the body's immune protective barrier. It helps well as a prophylactic during the period of “rampant” infections, reducing the likelihood of colds.
Reduces the content of “bad cholesterol”, preventing the formation of cholesterol plaques and brings a person’s blood pressure back to normal for age. Helps in solving problems with vascular and heart diseases.
Strengthens the nervous system and increases mental activity due to the content of potassium and B vitamins in the juice.
Improves the activity of the gastrointestinal tract, eliminating signs of heartburn, increasing appetite and intestinal motility due to the presence of dietary fiber and pectin.
Helps with disorders of the genitourinary system, but is not the main, but an additional remedy for drug therapy.
Participates in preventive dental treatment: relieves gum inflammation, inhibits the development of caries. Previously, cranberries helped get rid of scurvy, which developed with a lack of ascorbic acid (teeth became loose and fell out).
Stops the growth of cancer cells, reducing the risk of malignant tumors thanks to the antioxidants in the composition.

The benefits of cranberries for the body are not limited to the listed properties. There are folk methods for treating various diseases, where the northern berry is present in teas, decoctions, and potions.

Not only the fruits, but also the leaves bring benefits. Decoctions from the leaves have antibacterial properties. They wash wounds and use them for sore throats. Tea with leaves, taken in a bath, helps the body get rid of toxins.

Useful properties for women

The fair sex should also not neglect the “gifts of the north.” Cranberry brings the following benefits to a woman’s body:

improves the condition of hair, relieving its owner of split ends, strengthens the nail plate;
helps get rid of extra pounds, since the chemical composition of berries is involved in the breakdown of fats;
is a preventive remedy for genitourinary problems: women often suffer from cystitis and develop urolithiasis.

Cranberry juice is an essential dessert offered in some restaurants after a fatty meal. The drink destroys fats and relieves stomach discomfort.

Beneficial properties during pregnancy

The benefits during pregnancy are obvious: cranberry juices or drinks can replace multivitamin complexes. They can be added to fresh berry juices to get a full set of vitamins. Northern berry helps during pregnancy:

fill the body of the mother and the unborn baby with useful components;
boost immunity and reduce the risk of various infections;
in the first trimesters, reduce toxicosis due to an sour drink;
in the last trimesters, relieve swelling and pressure surges.

The expectant mother does not need to eat fresh berries. It is much healthier to consume fruit drinks, compotes, and jelly. If desired, you can add sugar or honey to drinks to reduce the sour taste. The berry is prohibited if a pregnant woman suffers from allergies or gastrointestinal diseases: ulcers, gastritis, enterocolitis.

What are the benefits for men

The benefits of cranberries for men reduce the risk of prostatitis or prostate disease. Thanks to the enzymatic composition of the fruit, the risk of infections of the bladder and genitourinary system as a whole is reduced. There is a way to treat male impotence: a single daily intake of 300 ml of fresh juice. This will help solve the problem in combination with other treatment methods.

Benefits for children

Mothers know how cranberries are beneficial for children. Children have poorly developed immunity, so this is the best remedy in the fight against infectious agents (viruses, bacteria, fungi). Taking syrups or fruit drinks with northern berries during a cold increases sweating and reduces fever, gradually removing signs of inflammation. It is a strong antiseptic that can fight microbial colonies. Its antitussive effect is also known. The beneficial properties of cranberries are aimed at:

fight against dysbacteriosis;
removal of poisonous and toxic compounds;
treatment of skin problems such as dermatitis, eczema;
preventing problems with teeth and gums.

They try to introduce the juice of one or two berries into the diet from 6 months, after diluting it with water. From one to three years of age, children are allowed drinks as a vitamin and preventative against colds, but only in diluted form.

Cranberries should not be considered an ordinary delicacy. Diluted juice is a potent drink that is recommended for children in the amount of one glass per day.

How to use it correctly?

Method of administration. The healthiest way to eat cranberries is fresh (without adding other products). However, due to the sour taste, this is rarely possible. The berries are most often consumed as part of fruit drinks, cocktails, compotes, salads, pies, etc., less often - together with meat or dairy products. Cranberries go well with honey. Teas and decoctions are prepared from leaves and branches.
Daily norm. The recommended daily dosage is 75-100 grams.
Time of receipt. It is recommended to avoid eating cranberries in the morning on an empty stomach (due to the pronounced irritating effect on the mucous membranes of the stomach and duodenum) and in the evening, before bed (possible overload of the gastrointestinal tract and problems with sleep).
Difference from lingonberries. Cranberries are valued for their pronounced antimicrobial effect, lingonberries for their ability to increase diuresis and saturate the body with vitamin C, which subsequently strengthens the immune system. In general, both berries are healthy.
Application of oil. Cranberry seed oil is used to prevent atherosclerosis and lower blood pressure. For cosmetic purposes it is used to moisturize the skin and prevent the appearance of wrinkles on the face.

There are a number of rules that should be followed when consuming cranberries for maximum effect. The daily norm is up to 100 grams.

Medicinal properties of cranberries

Traditional medicine has long adopted this valuable taiga fruit. But it is important to know for which diseases cranberry really becomes a reliable assistant and brings benefits. What does the “northern healer” treat and what recipes can you safely use for emerging diseases? Cranberry is used:

To cleanse the intestines, removing stagnant feces and toxic compounds in their composition. The recipe is simple: you need to mix cranberry and beet juice in equal proportions and drink 3-5 sips 3 times a day. The same remedy is recommended for cramps and constipation.
For colds, to relieve inflammation, prepare a mixture of equal parts of aloe juice, cranberry, lemon, honey and vodka. Sugar is added as desired. The mixture is stored in a cool place and taken three times a day, 2 tbsp. l.
To restore physical strength, use cranberry juice, half diluted with water. The drink is useful for people involved in sports or physical labor. It will give you vigor due to the multivitamin complex in its composition.
For hypertension, a mixture of cranberries (500 g) and sugar (150 g), diluted with 250 ml of water, helps. The mixture is boiled for 10 minutes, cooled and diluted half with water. It is enough to take a glass of the product per day.
For diabetes, it will help normalize the amount of sugar in the blood. To do this, grind a handful of cranberries, pour in 250 ml of hot water and let the drink infuse for an hour. Take twice a day in a volume of 50 ml.
As a preventive measure for problems of the genitourinary system, diluted cranberry juice (1:3) 100 ml daily is useful.
For diarrhea, a folk remedy has been created based on berries and leaves in equal parts. The mixture is boiled for 5 minutes, pouring 500 ml of hot water. Take 4 times a day, 130 ml.

Cranberry treatment is useful as a disease prevention or it is used as an additional, supportive agent during drug therapy when the disease is already developing.

Application

Cranberry berries and leaves are often used in folk medicine:

As a general strengthening, vitamin remedy;
As an anti-inflammatory;
As a diuretic;
As an antiscorbutic;
As an antimicrobial;
As anti-sclerotic;
For hypertension;
To regulate metabolism;
For colds;
In febrile conditions;
For respiratory diseases;
For throat diseases and sore throat;
With reduced secretion of pancreatic and gastric juice;
For diseases of the kidneys, urinary tract and bladder;
As a prophylactic agent that prevents the formation of kidney stones (changes the acidity of urine);
For anemia;
For glaucoma to improve vision and other eye diseases;
With Addison's disease;
For arthritis and rheumatism;
For diabetes mellitus;
For skin diseases (psoriasis, vitiligo, urticaria);
For diarrhea and vomiting;
For baldness;
For cancer;
With thrombophlebitis;
For vasculitis.

In addition to the internal use of cranberry berries and leaves in the form of extract, fruit drink, juice, tea, water infusion, etc., berry pulp and juice from them are used externally:

As an insecticide against nits and head lice;
To remove pigment spots;
For skin diseases;
For the treatment of bedsores.

Dried frozen cranberries which is healthier

Due to the high content of organic acids, cranberries are perfectly stored. Just put it in jars and add a little sweetened water. This is the so-called pickled cranberry, which does not spoil for a long time.

Freezing also perfectly preserves all the taste and beneficial qualities of red fruits. The benefits and harms of frozen cranberries are exactly the same as fresh ones. Northern berries are dried in modern dryers or ovens, slightly wilting or completely removing moisture from the berries.

Which product is healthier: fresh or dried? After any treatment carried out correctly, the berry retains its healing properties. The only downside is the dried product, as it becomes quite high in calories. But first place in the ranking should be given to frozen fruits, which perfectly preserve the appearance and internal potential of a vitamin-rich product.

During drying, the oven doors should be slightly open to allow excess moisture to evaporate, and the temperature should be +40C. The dried product springs back when pressed and does not crumble into dust.

Conclusion

Cranberries contain organic acids, which act as both preservatives and antiseptics, so the berry is effective against colds and infections and can be stored for a long time.
Frozen or soaked berries retain their fresh properties for many months.
The use of cranberries for some diseases should be treated very carefully, and it is better to refuse.
Cranberry is useful for both internal and external use - there are recipes for combating various imperfections of the facial epidermis.
The berry can cause allergic reactions, so it is not recommended for use by nursing mothers and children under three years of age.

Cranberry juice

Cranberry juice provides great opportunities for culinary imagination: you can use it to prepare jellies, mousses, syrups, fresh juices, herbal teas, and berry infusions. But cranberry juice remains beyond competition. As our grandmothers claimed and contemporaries agree with them, “there is nothing healthier in the world than fruit juice.”

Morse is a cold drink that contains:

600 g cranberries;
1 cup of sugar;
2.5 liters of water.

The ingredients are mixed and taken in the summer as a light, vitamin drink, and in the winter to prevent colds.

What dishes can be prepared with cranberries?

Cranberry juice.
Cranberry jelly.
Cranberry jam.
Cranberry sauce for meat.
Cranberry syrup.
Smoothie with cranberries.
Cranberry marmalade.
Cranberries in powdered sugar.
Berry pie with cranberries and cinnamon.
Cabbage marinated with cranberries.
Meatballs in cranberry sauce.
Duck stuffed with apples and cranberries.
Oatmeal cookies with cranberries.
Curd cream with cranberries.

Harm of cranberries

Cranberries have contraindications because the product contains many organic acids with a sharp, sour taste. If a person is healthy and does not overuse berries, then the benefits will be fully manifested. But with some symptoms, treatment with cranberries will be not only harmful, but also dangerous to health:

for gastritis and liver diseases, manifested in acute form;
with the development of peptic ulcer of any part of the gastrointestinal tract and at any stage;
with weak tooth enamel, which will be actively destroyed by acids;
in case of allergic manifestations or individual intolerance.

If a person has many chronic diseases, then it is better to consult with your doctor or drink diluted juice in moderation.

The northern berry is well absorbed by the body; it grew in our open spaces and has been consumed by Russian people for many years. This is not an overseas fruit that can cause confusion or indigestion. Cranberries, which inhabit centuries-old swamps, give them power, strength and help them survive in the difficult conditions of the Russian climate.

Reviews

According to data from various sites, cranberries are recommended by 100% of satisfied customers. The purposes of use vary widely: from the treatment of cystitis to weight loss. In both cases, everyone who used cranberries was satisfied with the results obtained, which indicates the undoubted health benefits of the berry. The product rating is 5.0 out of 5.0 possible.

Irina, 31 years old
For the past three years I have been regularly drinking cranberry juice at night with short breaks. The drink helped in the fight against cystitis and eliminates swelling. I recommend.

Marianna, 25 years old
During pregnancy, using cranberry juice helped to quickly and permanently get rid of swelling. After giving birth, I didn’t stop drinking the drink, as I noticed that it was also effective in fighting viral and colds during vitamin deficiency. Of course, I don’t limit myself to cranberry juice for colds—I also use other traditional medicine—but I don’t take medicine either. I recommend it for purchase and use.
Read also: Burning sensation when urinating in women, causes and treatment

Yuri, 34 years old
Four years ago, after surgery, I noticed that I began to get sick often. At that time, significant sums were spent on treating a persistent cough and, along with it, a runny nose. A friend recommended cranberry juice as a powerful remedy for increasing the body’s ability to resist colds and infectious diseases. I’ll be honest, I didn’t have high hopes, but as a result, I started getting sick less often, so I recommend cranberries for purchase and consumption.

Raisa, 78 years old
I don’t know a better cure for illnesses than a drink made from cranberries - fruit juice - it helps both not to catch a cold, and even when you’ve already caught a cold. I've been drinking all my life and don't spend money on pills, so I recommend it.