5 health benefits of cranberry juice

Gorge away on little red berries, learn more about the health benefits of cranberry juice.

Cranberry juice has a lot more to it than just being a sidekick to your favored tipple vodka! It has myriad health benefits, right from helping the body to boost immunity levels to curing cold; cranberry juice does it all. 

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What are cranberries?

Cranberries are tiny red colored fruits that are native to the North American region. They contain copious amounts of anti-oxidant properties. 

Here are the top five health benefits of cranberry juice.

1. Helps to ward off tooth decay – Cranberries contain this chemical compound in them called Proanthocyanidine – this chemical deters harmful bacteria from settling on the teeth. It also prevents too much acidic production in the mouth, thereby preventing increase in plaque levels. 

2. Good for weight loss – One cup of cranberries contains 45 calories. Hence, weight watchers can gorge on these yummy berries and their juice. 100 grams of cranberry juice contains 87.13 grams of water; high water content helps you to feel full for longer and is thus, a good option for dieters.  

3. Healthy heart – Cranberries are kind to your heart as they contain potent antioxidant flavonoids which help mitigate the risk of heart disease, atherosclerosis in particular. Atherosclerosis causes the arteries to narrow down because of the excessive collection of fat, cholesterol and calcium in the blood. Compounds like flavonoids decrease the oxidation levels of LDL (low density lipoprotein) in the body, thereby decreasing the risk of heart disease. 

4. Natural anti-aging properties – Studies suggest that cranberries can easily replace all those anti-aging creams available in the market. Due to its extremely potent antioxidant and phytonutrients levels, cranberries help reverse aging and gift your skin with a young look. 

5. Prevents urinary tract infections – Urinary tract infections usually entail excessive micro-organisms – present in the urine – sticking to the walls of the bladder. Cranberry juice has proanthocyanidins, which curbs such bacteria from clinging and binding with the body’s healthy cells.  

Caution – People with certain kinds of allergies must take care of consuming too much cranberry juice, check with your general physician before increasing intake of any cranberry based product.