Cranberries belong to the same family as blueberries, but unlike these berries, they are too tart to eat raw. Even when sweetened, cranberries retain a fresh tartness that complements poultry and pork.
Cranberrier and Cystitis
Cranberry juice has long been used as a home remedy for cystitis and also to prevent kidney and bladder stones. Until recently, this benefit was attributed to quinic acid, a substances that increases urine acidity and prevents the formation of calcium stones. It was also thought that this acidity held prevent cystitis. New studies show, however, that cranberries also contain a natural antibiotic substances that makes the bladder walls inhospitable to the organisms responsible for urinary tract infections. This prevents the bacteria from forming colonies; instead, they are washed out of the body in the urine. Blueberry juice has the same protective effect.
Many urologists and gynecologists now advise patients who suffer recurrent or chronic bladder infections to drink a couple of glasses of cranberry juice daily as a preventive measure. see a doctor, however, if symptoms develop or persist; prescription antibiotics are usually necessary to cure an established urinary infection.
Commercial cranberry juice is often too diluted to be effective in preventing or treating urinary infections; it also contains large amounts of sugar or other sweeteners. Using a juicer, you can make your own cranberry juice. To reduce the amount of sugar needed, dilute a cup of concentrated juice with 2 to 3 cups of apple juice and then sweeten to taste.
Cranberries provide fiver along with some vitamin C; they also contain flavonoids, beneficial plant pigments which are thought to have anti-inflammatory properties. Researchers have found that one of these flavonoids, anthocyanin, promotes formation of visual purple, a pigment in the eyes, instrumental in color and night vision. Other studies suggest that anthocyanin has anticancer effect.