| With the holiday season just around the | | | | your oral health. They help to dissolve |
| corner, cranberries will start to make their | | | | aggregates formed by many oral bacteria |
| yearly appearance in Thanksgiving and other | | | | while decreasing the level of Streptococus |
| seasonal meals. Their tangy flavor and bright | | | | mutans, the major cause of tooth decay. |
| red color make them a favorite this time of | | | | |
| year (it's also when they're most plentiful, | | | | Tasty Cranberry Recipes to Try This Season |
| as their peak season runs from October to | | | | |
| December). | | | | The best part about all of this is that |
| | | | cranberries are not, like some health foods, |
| But flavor and color aside, there's another | | | | hard to swallow. In fact, they add a unique, |
| reason to enjoy cranberries (and even make | | | | tart flavor to all kinds of dishes, including |
| them part of your diet year-round)--they're | | | | these three recipes for everyone's holiday |
| incredibly nutritious and great for your | | | | favorite: cranberry sauce. Enjoy! |
| health. | | | | |
| | | | Traditional Cranberry Sauce (No Sugar |
| Cranberries and Your Heart | | | | Added!) |
| | | | |
| Studies have found that cranberries reduce | | | | Ingredients: |
| the risk of heart disease. Most recently, a | | | | |
| study presented at the annual congress of | | | | 1 12oz bag of fresh or frozen cranberries |
| the International Union of Physiological | | | | |
| Sciences in March/April 2005 found that pigs | | | | 1 cup fresh orange juice |
| with atherosclerosis (a primary causes of | | | | |
| heart disease) that received a daily dose of | | | | 1 tsp minced fresh ginger |
| cranberry powder had restored blood vessel | | | | |
| health. | | | | 1 tsp minced orange zest |
| | | | |
| Other studies have also found that people who | | | | 1/4 tsp cinnamon |
| drink cranberry juice have higher levels of | | | | |
| good (HDL) cholesterol and may have improved | | | | 1/2 cup crushed pineapple |
| blood vessel function. | | | | |
| | | | 1/2 cup honey |
| Antioxidant Powerhouses | | | | |
| | | | Directions: |
| Cranberries are a rich source of | | | | |
| antioxidants, according to the Cranberry | | | | - Bring orange juice, ginger, zest and |
| Institute, a trade association for cranberry | | | | cinnamon to a boil on high heat in a medium |
| growers. In a study funded by the Institute | | | | saucepan. |
| it was found that: | | | | |
| | | | - Rinse cranberries and add once liquid is |
| "Cranberries contained the most antioxidant | | | | boiling. Reduce heat to medium and cook |
| phenols compared to 19 commonly eaten | | | | uncovered for about 10 minutes. |
| fruits. Cranberries are loaded with | | | | |
| antioxidants and should be eaten more often," | | | | - Add crushed pineapple and honey. Remove |
| said study author Joe Vinson, Ph.D., | | | | from heat and cool. |
| research chemist at the University of | | | | |
| Scranton in Pennsylvania. | | | | Recipe from The World's Healthiest Foods |
| | | | |
| Other studies also rank cranberries as | | | | Spicy Cranberry Sauce |
| leaders in phenolic compound content. "These | | | | |
| antioxidants may play a role in helping to | | | | Ingredients: |
| prevent heart disease and certain cancers," | | | | |
| Vinson said. | | | | 1 1/2 cups water |
| | | | |
| Cranberries Fight Cancer | | | | 1 orange (including juice and finely chopped |
| | | | rind) |
| Certain compounds in cranberries have been | | | | |
| found to be toxic to many cancer tumor cell | | | | 2 cups sugar |
| lines, including: | | | | |
| | | | 1 piece stick cinnamon |
| - Lung cancer | | | | |
| | | | 4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries |
| - Cervical cancer | | | | |
| | | | Directions: |
| - Prostate cancer | | | | |
| | | | - Cook first 4 ingredients together for 5 |
| - Breast cancer | | | | minutes. |
| | | | |
| - Leukemia | | | | - Add cranberries. Cook until the berries |
| | | | stop popping. |
| One study, for instance, published in the | | | | |
| June 2004 Journal of Nutrition, found that | | | | - Cool without stirring. |
| whole cranberries inhibit prostate, skin, | | | | |
| lung and brain cancer cells. Experts believe | | | | Recipe from The Cranberry Lady |
| a compound in the whole cranberry (not just | | | | |
| the juice) is responsible for this effect. | | | | Cranberry Chutney |
| | | | |
| Unique "Anti-Adhering" Properties | | | | Ingredients: |
| | | | |
| Cranberries possess a unique ability to | | | | 2 cups chopped Braeburn apple |
| inhibit bacteria, including E. coli, from | | | | |
| adhering to the urinary tract. This is why | | | | 2 cups whole cranberries |
| cranberry juice is often recommended to | | | | |
| prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs). | | | | 1/4 cup chopped onion |
| Cranberries also contain hippuric acid, | | | | |
| which is antibacterial and helpful for | | | | 3/4 cup brown sugar |
| warding off UTIs. | | | | |
| | | | 1/2 cup golden raisins |
| But cranberries' anti-adhering properties are | | | | |
| helpful for much more than your urinary | | | | 1/2 cup white vinegar |
| tract. A study published in the October 2004 | | | | |
| issue of the Journal of Science, Food and | | | | 1/2 tsp. chopped garlic |
| Agriculture found that an antiviral compound | | | | |
| in cranberries called proanthocyanidin A-1 | | | | 1 medium red pepper chopped |
| inhibits the herpes virus from attaching to | | | | |
| and penetrating the genitals. | | | | 1 Tbsp grated ginger root (or 1 tsp ground |
| | | | ginger) |
| Likewise, a compound in cranberries is known | | | | |
| to keep Helicobacter pylori, the bacteria | | | | Directions: |
| that causes most gastric ulcers, from | | | | |
| adhering to the cells of the stomach lining. | | | | - Combine all in a non-aluminum kettle. |
| | | | |
| Cranberries and Your Teeth | | | | - Simmer until all fruits and vegetables are |
| | | | tender, about 20-30 minutes. |
| A study published in Critical Reviews in Food | | | | |
| Science and Nutrition in 2002 found that | | | | - Stir often to prevent scorching. |
| compounds in cranberry juice are great for | | | | |