Cranberries frequently grace the table at Thanksgiving, but these little berries are more than just a Thanksgiving tradition. Cranberries provide essential vitamin C and dietary fiber. Cranberries contain antioxidants which can protect your health and prevent certain infections and other conditions.
Cranberries Can Help to Protect Against:
· Urinary tract infections
· Kidney stones
· Unhealthy cholesterol levels
· Cancer
· Tooth decay
Urinary tract infections result from a buildup of bacteria on the walls of the bladder. The consumption of cranberries can help to prevent this buildup. Native Americans have been using this berry to fight off infections for hundr

eds of years. Doctors recommend that those prone to urinary tract infections take a cranberry capsule or drink a glass of cranberry juice every day. A new study shows that the effects of doing so can be seen in as little as eight hours.
Kidney stones are very painful. Many compare the feeling to labor pains experienced without medication. Cranberries can protect against kidney stones. They can be consumed in the form of juice, capsules, or berries.
Three glasses of cranberry juice every day can raise good cholesterol by 10%. This can lower the risk of heart disease by 40%. This can even be effective for those with a genetic predisposition to high cholesterol.
Very few diseases frighten people as much as cancer. Cranberries contain phytochemcials such as glycosides and phenolic acids. Both have been proven to block cancerous tumors found in the head and neck along with the colon and prostate. Phytochemicals can force cancer cells to self-destruct. One glass of 27% cranberry juice or dried cranberries is all that is needed on a daily basis.
Tooth decay affects millions every year. Eating cranberries can prevent tooth decay. Cranberries contain flavonoids, myricetin, and quercetin. Both prevent bacteria from sticking to the surface of the tooth. Additionally, one study shows that plaque formation decreases when cranberries are consumed.
Cranberries offer many health benefits. If you have been diagnosed with any of the above conditions, speak to your medical professional to see how they can help you.
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