The Benefits of Cranberries
Cranberries are a staple of the classic thanksgiving meal. What many people don't realize is that cranberries aren’t just a food to be eaten out of a blob, still in the shape of a can. Cranberries are, in fact, a super-food unlike any other. Packed with antioxidants, cranberries may be more than just a yearly obligation, but can actually help you maintain a higher standard of health and wellness.
How Cranberries Can Benefit Your Health
Cranberries are rich with antioxidants which can help protect cells. What is especially effective about cranberries is that they contain phytochemicals which can help protect your DNA, which other antioxidants can’t match. While protecting your cells from damage, and DNA from alteration, the antioxidants specific to cranberries help reduce the ‘oxidative stress’ which is most often caused by free radicals. It is through the process of oxidation that the free radicals damage cells and cell DNA.
Antioxidants are useful to help reduce the effect of free radicals within your body. Free radicals work by causing a chain link of reactions, damaging cells throughout the body. Many consumers don't understand that free radicals are not simply finite. They cause a domino-effect, creating chemical reaction after chemical reaction which eventually amasses into larger and larger clumps. These clumps can become cancerous tumors in not taken care of. Antioxidants help to reverse this effect, and Cranberries are among the best sources of them.
Free radicals can damage cells causing harmful alterations to the cell’s DNA. All this can result in very serious problems for the body, which sometimes result in major health problems such as cancer. Antioxidant-rich foods are shown to reduce the consumer’s risk for certain types of cancer, as they eliminate free radicals.
How Cranberries Effect The Body
The phytochemicals, PACs in cranberries also have the benefit of improving the consumer’s bladder health. They work within the body to help inhibit the growth of undesirable bacteria within the lining of the bladder and urinary tract. This, in turn, helps to prevent infections caused by bad bacteria like E. coli. This is one of the main, traditional uses of cranberries that has been practiced for centuries in traditional medicine.
By regulating the growth of bacteria in the body, cranberries can help the consumer experience greater digestive health. By limiting the production of bad bacteria like Helicobacter pylori, PACs help regulate the lining of the stomach, lowering the chance that discomfort occurs in the stomach. PACs found in cranberries can also stop the production of ulcers, which are usually caused by bacteria.
Cranberries help eliminate free radicals, which are often the cause of cancerous tumors. The powerful antioxidant power of cranberries along with other cancer-fighting agents found within, help to give the consumer comprehensive coverage against the growth of free radicals. The cancer-fighting agents found in cranberries help regulate the activity of enzymes which are crucial to prevent the growth of cancer cells. While these agents work to prevent the production of undesirable cells, they also help support normal cell function, and healthy a healthy cell cycle.
Cranberries contain essential chemicals which can help detoxify the body. Most notably, they help support “phase one” detoxification in the liver. A healthy liver will ensure that the body is able to produce healthy cells, without being perturbed by toxins and free radicals. Cranberries also help reduce the damage of environment-related toxins, which are often linked to increased risk of cancer. Foods like Cranberries, as well as tomatoes and carrots, help dramatically reduce the consumer’s risk of cancer, and in effect help detoxify the body.
Cranberries are full of nutrients, which is one reason that they are popular as a super-healthy food. Cranberries multitask within the body, providing essential nutrients for all of its functions. They also help support a healthy immune system and reduce buildup of cancer cells. The vitamins C, K, and E contained within cranberries are what make it such a balanced, and beneficial food.
Cranberries also have Anti-inflammatory benefits. The chemical quercetin is common among red fruits and vegetables, and is highly beneficial for fighting cancer. In addition, these quercetin helps to lower the production of pro-inflammatory molecules within the body. By including cranberries in their diets, consumers will have adopted one of the most effective strategies to help prevent cancer. By changing the chemical environment of the cancer cells, consumers are using the most potent method of naturally defeating cancer.
Final Word On Cranberries
As a common household food, Cranberries are often underestimated for their health benefits. What people don’t realize is that they are, for all intents and purposes, a super-food. They are full of beneficial vitamins and antioxidants that help the consumer maintain a healthy lifestyle, while also reducing the risk of illnesses such as cancer. Many of consumers can't imagine cranberries that aren’t in a can-shaped, gelatinous form, but perhaps they could benefit from knowing that they can produce real, profound health benefits. No longer will cranberries be mere reminders of thanksgiving tradition, as consumers become more and more aware of how easy it is to experience their benefits.
