Reasons to Eat More Cranberries
By Sara Butler
Cranberry season is here! You may view cranberries as something you have once a year to accompany your Thanksgiving turkey but there are plenty of reasons cranberries should be a regular part of your diet. Here are just a few of the health benefits that cranberries have to offer.
Help With Antibiotic Resistance
You know that cranberry juice is often recommended for urinary tract infections, but recent research is also discovering that cranberries can keep the bacteria responsible for infections like that from becoming resistant to antibiotics.
In studies, it's been found that the addition of cranberry extract to treatments for certain infections made the cell walls of the bacteria more permeable to antibiotics, which helped make the treatment more effective. Of course, overuse of antibiotics runs rampant, so it might be worth your while to increase your intake of cranberry when you're sick and have no choice but to take antibiotics.
Help With Inflammation
Cranberries are full of antioxidants and antioxidants are a great way to help your body fight chronic inflammation. In fact, when put up against other antioxidant-rich fruits, cranberries only come in second to blueberries in the antioxidant punch they pack. Studies have also found that people who eat more cranberries have fewer inflammatory markers in their systems. If you let inflammation go unchecked, it can lead to serious health problems such as heart disease or a decline in your cognitive abilities.
Help Circulation
Your arteries deliver oxygen-rich blood to every part of your body, but sometimes they can become hard and inflexible, leading to issues with blood pressure and poor circulation. Cranberries have been found to help improve the flexibility of the arteries, which can enhance blood flow and help every part of your body to stay nourished by your blood.
Help Your Heart
Cranberries can also help to improve the health of your heart by reducing the levels of triglycerides and bad cholesterol in your blood. Some of the compounds in cranberries have also been found to slow the growth of cancer cells that grow with certain types of cancer, such as colon, lung, or breast cancer.
Help Your Gut
Gut health is important, so you must strive to keep your gut happy and healthy. Cranberries can help to support a healthy digestive system while at the same time boosting your immunity. They pack a powerful punch of Vitamin C to help support a more robust immune system to help you stay healthy all year long.
Cranberries are great for you, so don't be afraid to add them into your diet where you can.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Madison, Wis.