Where does cranberry come from?
Cranberry is frequently referred to by its English name: cranberries, this shrub that produces juicy berries. Frequent in North America, where it is an important cash crop, it is also called Grande Airelle Rouge or Atoka in Quebec.
It is savored in the form of juice, coulis, candied or dehydrated fruit, and it is used in the composition of many traditional dishes, eaten in particular during Thanksgiving festivities.
The cranberry has enjoyed great popularity for several years and if it is now exported around the world, not only for its flavor, but also for its benefits in herbal medicine.
What are the benefits of cranberry?
What are its properties?
Its fruits are rich in acids – benzoic, oxalic, citric and malic – and in vitamin C. They also contain flavonoids, anthocyanidins and tannins.
They owe their virtue, however, to CAP (Or proanthocyanidins), of the antioxidants which would reduce the adhesion of bacteria to the urinary walls significantly.
Why take cranberry?
- The consumption of cranberry is mainly recommended as a preventive measure, to limit the risk of urinary tract infections. Consumed in sufficient quantity and in association with a suitable antibiotic, the cranberry is also of interest in the case recurrent cystitis limiting the duration and intensity of the infection. Indeed, D-mannose, a sugar it contains, binds to the cells of the bladder wall and prevents bacteria from adhering to it.
- It helps reduce the risk of decay and limit the formation of plaque.
- It also helps eliminate helicobacter pylori, a responsible germ gastric and duodenal ulcers.
- Studies tend to prove that thanks to its richness in polyphenols and salicylic acid, the cranberry participates in prevent tumors and the formation of blood clots.
We sometimes lend the cranberry virtues that are not scientifically proven. At present, its interest in the control of cholesterol levels and in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases remains to be demonstrated.
In what forms to consume the cranberry?
The cranberry is consumed in the form of 100% pure juiceof dried fruits or of candied fruit. It is possible to consume the fresh berrieswhich are more often found frozen, but it is recommended to cook them over low heat with water and sugar.
However, according to the threshold set by the ANSM (National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products), it is necessary to consume 36 mg of PAC per day for one week per month or continuously over several months to benefit from its benefits. This is equivalent to 2 g of dry fruit extracts. It may therefore be wise to opt for food supplementsfor example in capsule, by scrupulously referring to the instructions.
Does cranberry have any side effects or contraindications?
- Consumption of cranberry can cause side effects in case of overdose – including diarrhea.
- In addition, its oxalic acid content rapidly increases the level of oxalates in the urine and it is therefore to be avoided in the event of kidney stones of the calcium oxalate type. (in this case, we will prefer free D-mannose).
- Cranberry consumption is also to be excluded in case of blood thinning treatment (anticoagulants and aspirin), in case aspirin allergy and in case of predisposition to kidney stones.
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