This is the name of a plant from the lingonberry family and its fruits.
Cranberry is an evergreen shrub
with thin and low shoots. Shoot length on average
about 30 cm, berries of wild cranberries are red, spherical,
8-12 mm in diameter. Some specially bred
varieties have berries up to 2 cm in diameter. Cranberry blossoms
in June, berry picking starts in September and continues
all autumn. Plantation berries ripen for 1-2 weeks
before the wild. Cranberries can easily be stored until
spring.
Cranberries are eaten both fresh and frozen,
soaked or dried, juices, fruit drinks are prepared from it,
jelly, preserves, jelly, cocktails and cranberry kvass, or
added to salads, pies and other dishes.
Cranberry, grows in many countries, if conditions permit,
loves swampy forest soil, sedge-sphagnum swamps,
tundra and moss bogs. Only in Karelia grows
about 22 varieties of cranberries, among which there are large-fruited
varieties with berries up to 2 cm in diameter.
Today, cranberries can be found throughout the territory, including
Far East. Rich in cranberries Ukraine, most of Europe, North
USA, Canada and Alaska. Americans consider the northern cranberry homeland
America. The Delaware Indians believed that the berries grew on the ground where
the blood of the warriors who died in the battle with the giants was shed.
Useful properties of cranberries
Fresh cranberries contain:
Calories 46 Kcal
Cranberries contain a complete collection of nutrients that are characteristic of
all berries. Cranberries are rich in sugars, organic acids, pectins
and vitamins. The berries contain lemon, benzoic,
ursolic, cinchona, chlorogenic, apple, oleander, amber
and oxalic acid, large enough (relative to other berries)
amount of pectin.
The vitamin part of cranberry is represented by group vitamins
B (B1, B2,
B5, B6), PP,
K1 (phylloquinone) and high vitamin content
C, the amount of which in cranberries is comparable to lemons, oranges,
grapefruit and garden strawberries.
Cranberries are rich in anthocyanins, phenolic acids, leukoanthocyanins,
catechins, betaine, macro and microelements. In cranberries
a lot of potassium,
slightly less phosphorus and calcium.
Enough iron, manganese,
copper and molybdenum.
In addition, it contains boron, cobalt, tin, iodine,
nickel, silver, chromium, titanium, zinc and other trace elements.
Eating cranberries improves appetite and digestion.
The production of gastric and pancreatic juice and juice increases
glands. This leads to a cure for gastritis with low
acidity of gastric juice, as well as inflammation of the pancreas
glands. Cranberries also have a diuretic and bactericidal
action and are useful for pyelonephritis.
Cranberries have the ability to protect the genitourinary system
from infections. Cranberries contain components of proanthocyanidin,
which prevent bacteria from multiplying in cells
genitourinary system.
Cranberries contain many antioxidants as well
has anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties.
Scientists increasingly insist that cranberries
should be a must-have in cancer prevention
diseases. It is believed that berry juice, binding with
two enzymes of the human body that cause
the formation of cancer cells, actively counteracts
their creation and distribution. Also in cranberries
contains substances that, by protecting DNA, prevent
growth of colon or prostate cancer cells. Exist
assumptions that the “miracle berry” was found
quercetin is a product that can help prevent
breast and colon cancer.
Cranberries contain such powerful phenolic antioxidants
like anthocyanins, which provide its medicinal properties.
Phenolic antioxidants also increase the level of “good”
cholesterol and reduce the level of “bad”,
reducing the potential risk of atherosclerosis.
Resveratrol, found naturally in cranberries,
has an antitumor effect. Resveratrol suppresses
the spread of tumor cells.
Studies have already shown how cranberries reduce
cholesterol and prevents the formation of plaque in blood vessels
and the formation of blood clots, protects the blood vessels of the brain from strokes
It has been found that ursol and oleanol contained in cranberries
acids expand the venous vessels of the heart, nourish the heart
muscle. Cranberry reduces headaches, lowers the content of
prothrombin in the blood, increase elasticity, strength
walls of blood capillaries. Cranberries are useful
use with high blood pressure, hypo and
avitaminosis C. Even in squeezes after cooking cranberry
juice contains up to 6% ursolic acid, which contributes to
expansion of the coronary vessels of the heart.
Cranberry has refreshing and tonic properties,
improves the functioning of the stomach and intestines. Cranberry drinks
have an antipyretic effect and quench thirst well,
therefore, they are recommended for use with influenza and high
temperature.
Studies by the Institute of Food Technology (USA) have proven
activity of cranberries against salmanella, intestinal
sticks, etc. Scientists have added cranberry concentrate to
raw ground beef already tainted with bacteria that
usually cause food poisoning. After research
minced meat, after a few days, scientists found that
thanks to the cranberry concentrate in meat it is significantly
the number of pathogenic bacteria has decreased.
Scientists believe that the antimicrobial effect of cranberries has
every chance in the future to become natural and effective
a tool for monitoring the content of pathogenic
organisms in food and reduce disease.
Fruit drink and cranberry syrup are used as an anti-fever
remedy for vitamin deficiencies, inflammatory diseases,
to reduce fever and quench thirst. When treating
respiratory diseases, rheumatism, tonsillitis is good
eat cranberries with honey.
Cranberry juice has antipyretic, bactericidal,
thirst-quenching properties, cleanses wounds and burns and accelerates
their healing, cure cough. Proanthocyanidins in cranberries
prevent the development of gum disease and caries. Cranberry
juice lowers cholesterol levels, reduces the risk of genitourinary
infections and increases the effectiveness of antibiotics in joint
reception. Heart and oncological diseases, treatment
gastritis, stimulation of the pancreas, increase
physical and brain activity are all beneficial
properties of cranberries.
Cranberry juice is drunk with honey (to taste, 1 – 2 teaspoons
per glass) 1/2 cup each for coughs, sore throats, colds,
acute respiratory diseases in 15 – 20 minutes. before
food. Mix cranberry juice with beetroot juice (1: 1) and drink
1/4 cup 3 times a day if you suffer from gastritis
with low acidity, colitis with constipation, with vascular
spasms, hypertension, sore throat, flu, atherosclerosis,
obesity, thrombophlebitis.
One or two glasses of natural cranberry juice
drunk daily, will serve as the prevention of genitourinary
infections. Plus, cranberry juice will help raise
the level of “good” cholesterol and will lower cholesterol
“bad”. And if you add cranberry juice to a glass
a teaspoon of honey, you get a wonderful remedy
from cough, helps with respiratory diseases.
Medicinal raw materials in folk medicine are not
only fruits, but also leaves. Cranberries are stored as
a source of vitamin C. But it must be collected in the fall before frost,
since freezing leads to the destruction of ascorbic
acid.
Cranberry Jam and Cranberry Juice Are Particularly Healthy
in the winter-spring period. Cranberry products are wonderful
a means to enhance immunity, and also prevent
the appearance of vitamin deficiencies.
Dangerous properties of cranberries
People cannot eat cranberries
suffering from stomach and duodenal ulcers, gastritis
with high acidity.
People with liver disease should eat cranberries
only after consulting a doctor, as it can cause an exacerbation.
In addition, cranberries are capable of destroying tooth enamel, so people
with weakened enamel, it is necessary to carefully eat cranberries.
