What is Cranberry: Benefits, Nutritional Value, and Side Effects

Refreshing and tart, cranberry juice has many fans! A native fruit of the United States and Canada, cranberry has a close connection with other berries such as huckleberries and blueberries. The US produces the largest amount of cranberries in the world. Though cranberry juice is less heard of in comparison to an apple or orange juice, this delicious and nutritious beverage benefits your health in multiple ways. While it does not have a sweet taste like other juices, the antibacterial and antioxidant cranberry juice benefits are reasons enough to have it!

Read on for detailed insight on the nutritional value as well as health benefits of cranberry juice.

Nutritional Value of Cranberry Juice 

Here are the nutrients you can get from cranberry juice: 

• Antioxidants 
• Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, E, and K 
• Magnesium 
• Copper 
• Calcium 
• Potassium 
• Folate 
• Manganese

Major Health Benefits of Cranberry Juice 

1. Improves your cardiac health 

As per research, different ingredients in cranberry juice can help boost your heart health. A study conducted among female participants who have metabolic syndrome discovered that consumption of cranberry juice increased the antioxidants in their blood plasma [1]. Individuals also found had they had a lower amount of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), which is also known as 'bad' cholesterol. Another study discovered that drinking cranberry juice boosted the health of people with a blockage in their coronary artery [2].

With cranberries, you also get other phytonutrients that have anti-inflammatory properties. While inflammation can gradually damage your blood vessels as well as your arteries, phytonutrients in cranberry juice can prevent it by resisting inflammation and cardiac diseases. A study among male participants suffering from obesity showed that consuming high-polyphenol cranberry juice for two months reduced several complications related to heart diseases.

2. Prevents infections in the urinary tract 

UTI prevention is believed to be one of the cranberry juice benefits you can enjoy. The fruit contains a class of compounds named proanthocyanidins, which is usually a component of plants. As per some studies, these compounds can resist the activities of the bacteria responsible for UTIs. However, more research is required on this to determine the exact role played by cranberry juice with respect to UTIs.

3. Resists different types of infections 

Apart from UTIs, consumption of cranberry juice also helps resist several viral and bacterial infections. As per research, cranberry can prevent the development of some bacterial microbes and some viruses such as norovirus.

4. Promotes digestive health 

More and more evidence shows that phytochemicals inside cranberry juice can boost your digestive health. It is one of the most crucial health benefits of cranberry juice, supported by a 2018 study published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture [3]. As per the paper, drinking cranberry juice can restrict the production of harmful H. pylori bacteria in your stomach and thus support your gut health.

5. Supports healthcare after menopause 

Menopause is a crucial stage in the lives of women, during and after which they go through a lot of changes in their health parameters. The risk of getting a heart condition, for instance, increases post-menopause. Under such situations, the consumption of cranberry juice can be beneficial. A study conducted among rats with their ovaries removed found that taking cranberry juice lowered their total cholesterol [4], which further supports its role in post-menopausal healthcare.

6. Keeps you safe from age-related damage 

As you age, your body goes through a lot of transformations. Among them, a crucial change is oxidative damage in your key organs by free radicals, which leads to different health conditions. Complications you get from such damage include diabetes, cancer, heart conditions, digestive health disorder, UTIs, and more. The antioxidants present in cranberry juice help resist such age-related oxidative damage to different tissues in your body.

Additional Read: Best Foods and Diet to Lower Cholesterol 

Possible Side-Effects of Cranberry Juice

Besides all these health benefits, consumption of cranberry juice may have certain side effects, as research showed it interacts with a few types of medications. One major type among them is warfarin, a blood thinner usually prescribed to people with heart conditions.

Apart from this, cranberry juice may, to some extent, impact the effects of medications such as Midazolam, Ceflacor, Cyclosporine, Amoxicillin, and Flurbiprofen.

If you are taking any of these pills, make sure to talk to a doctor before you start drinking cranberry juice. Keeping your doctor in the loop helps to address any side effects that you may experience from the interaction between these drugs and cranberry juice. Remember that cranberry juice benefits your health in many ways, so adding it to your diet can be smart. If you want to give your children cranberry juice, do it in small quantities after consulting your doctor, and it is better not to add other juices along with them. As they grow older, you can introduce them to juices of other fruits such as orange juice, grape juice, apple juice, and more.

Also, note that consuming cranberry juice is not an alternative to the treatment of a medical condition. So, in case you are suffering from heart disease, UTI, post-menopausal disorder, or infection in your digestive tract, get a doctor consultation without delay. In the case of cancer, too, cranberry juice or celery juice benefits your health to some extent, but they are not a replacement for the actual treatment.

When it comes to consulting a doctor, use the Bajaj Finserv Health platform to choose from the best doctors across specialties in your locality. You can sort the doctors as per their qualification, experience, gender, and more and go for either an in-clinic or a remote consultation. Take a wise step toward comprehensive healthcare and lead a life stress-free!