The Ultimate Digital Cranberry Guidebook
The "Ultimate Digital Cranberry Guidebook" highlights how Cranberries are widely known for their health benefits in humans, offering rich antioxidants, vitamins, and nutrients that can support urinary tract health, boost immunity, and improve digestion. Interestingly, these small, tart berries also hold potential benefits for animals. Studies suggest that cranberry compounds can help promote urinary health in pets, especially cats and dogs, and may contribute to overall wellness by providing anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects. By including cranberries in their diets, both humans and animals alike can harness the natural health advantages of this powerful berry.
Key benefits include:
Rich bioactive compounds: Cranberries contain polyphenols like anthocyanins, flavonoids, and proanthocyanidins.
Health impacts: Evidence suggests cranberries support nerve health, improve cognition, aid in blood sugar management, reduce risks associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and offer anticancer properties for certain cancers (e.g., bladder, esophagus).
Immune support: Cranberries may assist in virus management and immune function.
Additionally, cranberries are noted to be safe with medications like Warfarin and some antibiotics. The guide includes insights from Dr. Amy Howell, a retired research scientist, emphasizing cranberries' broad health benefits across various systems.
Cranberries are special as they are one of the only foods rich in A-type PACs.
These bioactive compounds give cranberries the ability to inhibit bacterial adhesion in the body leading to many health benefits.
Cranberries are simply the berry best. The high PAC content of cranberries ranks them at the top of the list of berries to choose for their health benefits.
When compared to other anthocyan- in-containing berries, cranberry anthocyanins are the most highly available to the body.
Urinary Tract Health
Forty percent of women and 20% of men in the U.S. will have a UTI at least once, and about 10% of women will have a UTI yearly.
Cranberry products offer an easy, accessible, and affordable way to prevent and reduce the incidence of UTIs. Decades of research supports the benefit of proanthocyanidins (PACs) in cranberries to provide urinary tract benefits by interfering with the ability of uropathogenic Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria to adhere to the wall of the urinary tract, the first step in the infection process. Emerging research supports the use of a cranberry juice-derived supplement product containing 36 mg PACs against two of the most important bacterial types causing UTIs, P-type and Type 1 E. coli.
Prevention of Urinary Tract Infections
In the most comprehensive scientific review to date, The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews examined the effectiveness of cranberry juice and supplements on UTI prevention. The findings support the use of cranberry juice, tablets, or capsules to help prevent UTIs in women with recurrent UTIs (rUTIs), in children, and in those at-risk of UTIs after an intervention.
Gut Microbiome
Fruits and vegetables play an important role in maintaining a healthy gut microbiome which can protect the body against germs and help overall health and immunity.
The beneficial bioactive compounds and fiber in cranberries help keep the microbiota in your gut healthy which aids in breaking down and utilizing health-promoting compounds in foods.
Fiber and polyphenols in cranberries help gut microbiota
Cranberries, cranberry sauce, and dried cranberries contain fiber which can help produce metabolites to support gut microbiota. Cranberry polyphenols are potential prebiotics which are thought to help improve the composition of the gut microbiota.
Cranberries are important for gut microbiota diversity and production of healthy metabolites
An evaluation of food data collected from more than 3800 people through the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 2005-2010) was used to develop a dietary index for healthy gut microbiota. The research identified cranberries as part of a small list of foods found to benefit gut microbiota diversity and production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs).
SCFAs are a metabolite produced by the fermentation of dietary fiber by the gut microbiome. A growing body of research supports their role in anti-inflammation and immune regulation.
Dried cranberries increase healthy bacteria and decrease unhealthy bacteria. Eating dried cranberries has been linked to an increase in Bacteroidetes, bacteria associated with positive health effects. Eating them is also shown to decrease Firmicutes, bacteria associated with negative health effects including energy absorption linked to obesity.
Oral Health
What you eat and drink can have a big impact on oral health, and fruits and vegetables are shown to protect against tooth decay/cavities, and gum disease.
The unique compounds found in cranberries, especially the PACs, may help support oral health.
Cranberry polyphenols inhibit the effects of Streptococcus mutans in the oral cavity affecting both the properties and development of biofilm. Bad bacteria can form biofilms to attach to mouth surfaces and promote an infection or cause an imbalance of bacteria in the mouth.
The isolated polyphenols in cranberries and cranberry juice have been shown to help manage the development of dental plaque, tooth decay/cavities, and gum disease. Development of products containing these isolated bioactive polyphenols have potential for improving oral cavity health.
Cardiometabolic Health
Cranberries Protect Against Inflammation & Oxidative Stress
Inflammation and oxidative stress in the body are associated with cardiometabolic conditions. Evidence suggests that polyphenols and vitamin C in cranberries protect against oxidative stress, increase antioxidant capacity, and help the body manage inflammation.
Whole cranberries, dried cranberries, and cranberry sauce also have fiber that helps the gut produce SCFAs, metabolites which help manage inflammation
Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Management
Animal studies have shown promising results for the potential benefits of cranberry for the prevention and management of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
The findings suggest that the anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory actions of cranberry PACs may help to prevent obesity, improve insulin resistance, lower high blood cholesterol levels, and reduce buildup of fat in the liver.
Immunity & Virus Management
• Emerging research shows that certain cranberry bioactive compounds including anthocyanins, carotenoids, and PACs have powerful effects against a main villain of the COVID-19 virus, the Mpro enzyme.nMpro is a protein whose structure has remained similar in most variants of the COVID-19 virus, making it a great target for development of protective strategies.
• Research suggests that cranberry polyphenols improve gut bacteria which helps with immunity benefits. Dried cranberries have been shown to decrease negative Firmicutes bacteria and increase healthful Bacteroidetes bacteria. Cranberries also help increase production of SCFAs, which have a role in supporting immunity.
