Cranberries: Great Taste and Healthy for You, Says Cranberry Marketing Committee

13/07/07 Healthy eating and tasty foods can go hand in hand, when you add cranberries. If you struggle between deciding on what you should be eating and what you want to be eating, then keep reading because taste does not have to be sacrificed for healthy food.

Skip the fad diets and opt for healthy make-overs to the meals you already eat. For instance, cranberries pack heart-healthy antioxidants into each flavorful bite. In fact, they contain the most antioxidants per calorie among popular fruits. Many dieters accidentally deprive themselves of good nutrition while cutting calories, but wellness foods like cranberries load health benefits into every bite and every calorie.

With summer here, shake up your usual routine by adding cranberries into favorite warm-weather foods. According to nutrition expert, Joy Blakeslee, RD, snacking with cranberries provides protein, healthy fats and fiber. "Dried cranberries are a great balanced snack that will keep you full until dinner time, and you can whip up many healthy snacks with other cranberry ingredients," Blakeslee explains.

-- For hot summer days, freeze light cranberry juice in ice cube trays and then add these frozen juice cubes to club soda or tonic water for a lightly fruity but not-too-sweet refreshment.

-- Blend cranberry juice and iced tea together for a thirst-quenching pick-me-up.

-- For healthy mornings, try cranberry juice blended into a smoothie. Did you know that cranberry beverages come in light and 100 percent juice varieties?

-- Transform your favorite nut mix or trail mix with the refreshing taste of dried cranberries for the perfect blend of sweet and salty.

-- Enjoy dried cranberries as a salad topper. Waldorf and spinach salads make two great candidates.

-- Add dried cranberries to granola for a healthy addition to your morning yogurt. During the week, swirl your cranberry granola right into the yogurt for a quick breakfast. On weekends, offer a more elaborate parfait of yogurt and cranberry-granola layers for brunch.

Why add cranberries? Many health professionals recognize antioxidants as premier protectors against heart disease. In 2002, a Cornell University scientist published his finding that cranberries ranked highest in total antioxidant activity compared to 10 other commonly eaten foods.

Since then, numerous studies have confirmed cranberries' heart health role. In 2004, the U.S. Department of Agriculture measured the antioxidant capacity of 100 common foods, naming cranberries as one of the richest sources. That same year, Canadian scientists found the antioxidants in low-calorie cranberry juice shield the heart by significantly increasing DL cholesterol levels.

Additionally, the most unique health benefit of cranberries is the bacteria blocking property. Cranberries have long been known to help prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs). A Rutgers University researcher published a landmark study in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2002 showing that specific cranberry compounds actually prevent certain bacteria from sticking to urinary tract walls. If the bacteria cannot stick, then they cannot cause an infection. While not a cure, cranberries offer an important prevention benefit: An estimated 11 million U.S. women suffer from UTIs and regular cranberry consumption can reduce these infections by as much as 40 percent.

New evidence also suggests that the very same bacteria blocking property of cranberries may prevent the development of certain stomach ulcers and even gum disease. In the first human study of its kind, Chinese scientists demonstrated in 2005 that drinking two cups of cranberry juice each day may destroy the bacteria responsible for certain types of ulcers,  a leading precursor to stomach cancer.

Turning to oral health, University of Rochester researchers examined cranberries' ability to prevent bacteria from sticking to teeth, which prevents the buildup of dental plaque that covers the teeth and then begins to cause cavities and even gum disease. Published in 2006, the study found two daily doses of a beverage containing 25 percent cranberry juice inhibited bacteria by 67 to 85 percent.