What is cranberry good for?

Cranberries are a wild berry belonging to the heather family. It grows in marshy areas and is widespread in our country and the states of the Northern Hemisphere. In nature, animals and birds feast on it: bears and partridges, martens and black grouse. This berry has healing properties and benefits all animals and humans. The most delicious cranberry fruit after the first frost, it was then that in November it is available for pickers.

This unpretentious plant easily grows in suitable conditions. Some countries of Scandinavia, Belarus, Poland have large plantations of large-fruited cranberries, cultivating its cultivation since the last century.

Historical Information on the Use of Cranberries as a Healing Plant

The healing value of cranberries has been known since ancient times; mentions of it are found in the book Domostroy, written in the 16th century. Healers treated the juice of this berry with scurvy and cough, treated ulcers and weeping wounds. When a severe cold came, it helped to lower the temperature, relieve fever. Berries were used as a hemostatic agent, for bladder disease, rheumatism and malaria.

Useful properties of cranberries and its composition

Analysis of the chemical composition showed a rich arsenal of nutrients. It contains many organic acids (including oxalic acid, necessary for normal intestinal activity), vitamins PP (necessary for the absorption of ascorbic acid), A, E, K, B1, B3, B6 and especially a lot of vitamin C. contains fructose and glucose, pectin and anthocyanins. All the cranberry minerals and nutrients form a balanced complex that best meets human needs. It is a source of calcium, zinc, manganese, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, potassium.

This has made the berry a valuable food and medicine. The correct ratio of useful trace elements is absorbed by a living organism with virtually no loss. However, the soluble fibers that make up the berries can cause diarrhea if consumed excessively. While cranberries are 90 percent water, in the remaining 10 18 beneficial compounds have been found that are responsible for regulating the metabolism of the human body, improving blood composition, and protecting cells from the harmful effects of free radicals.

Indications for use:

1. Cranberry fruit drinks and other drinks help well in the fight against flu and colds. At the initial stage of a cold, warm cranberry juice brings significant relief, because it removes toxins that form in the body during acute respiratory infections. Its astringent, sour taste is refreshing and does not allow the development of inflammatory processes with rheumatism.
2. Cranberry berries and drinks treat periodontal disease. You just need to crush several berries with your fingers and rub their juice into the gums. It helps in the treatment of diseases of the throat and upper respiratory tract.
3. Cranberry juice is recommended for diseases of the female genital organs, anemia, diabetes mellitus (it stimulates the pancreas).
4. Infusion and berry juice facilitates the condition of the body in diseases of the joints, helps relieve tissue edema.
5. There is information about the great benefits of berries for men. These red fruits help in the treatment of male prostatitis disease. Cranberry formulations normalize sexual function.
6. Due to its antibacterial qualities, the berry is effective in the treatment of cancerous tumors, it has an inhibitory effect.
7. Using cranberries in the spring, a person strengthens his immunity and carries out the prevention of vitamin deficiency.

Cranberry Recipes

By the number of calories contained, cranberries belong to low-calorie foods. But this meaning is different in fresh and dried berries. There are 12 times more calories in dried berries.

1. Morse. This cold drink makes it quick and easy to prepare. The crushed berries are poured with boiled water, sugar is added and filtered through a sieve. Morse is ready.
2. Cocktail. Often, berries, mixed with raspberries, sugar and milk, are used in the preparation of a tasty, nutritious, strengthening body strength and immunity, drink simply by mixing all the ingredients in a blender.
3. Infusion. Berry infusion helps with high blood pressure and atherosclerosis. Its preparation is carried out in a thermos, for 4 or more hours. For this, cranberries in an amount of 10 grams with the addition of leaves of the plant are poured with a glass of boiling water, tightly corked. Based on this proportion, the right amount of infusion is prepared. The finished product is taken before meals three times a day in half a glass.
4. Ointment. To cure skin ailments from the fruit, an ointment is prepared. The drug consists of fruit juice, taken from two tablespoons, mixed with lanolin and petroleum jelly, in an amount of 50 g each. Ointment is stored in a sealed form in the cold. Helps relieve skin inflammation and rash.
5. The juice. Cranberry juice, getting into the body, prevents the formation of blood clots in the blood and normalizes cholesterol levels. This berry is a natural natural antibiotic. Therefore, it is able to destroy bacteria. In the presence of cystitis and inflammation of the kidneys, chronic cough, tuberculosis, they drink squeezed cranberry juice with the addition of bee honey. In addition to relieving inflammatory processes in the urinary tract, cranberry juice prevents the appearance of stones there.
6. Gruel for the treatment of head lice. The berries for these purposes are crushed in any way in the required amount for application to the entire surface of the hair, and for half an hour leave the resulting slurry on the head. Then just wash it off with warm water.
7. Composition for the treatment of hypertension. You can lower high blood pressure to normal values ​​with cranberry juice mixed in equal amounts with red beet juice.

Cranberries and cosmetology

In cosmetology, cranberry juice is used in homemade masks for facial skin, in the preparation of therapeutic lotions for skin rashes. The skin becomes elastic, youthful, velvety. Redness, peeling is removed.

The lotion is prepared with the addition of vodka and grated lemon, glycerin, water. All components are mixed with cranberry juice. Face lotion is wiped with lotion at bedtime every day.

Cranberry strengthens the condition of the nail plates, has a beneficial effect on the condition of the hair. No wonder the antioxidant-rich berry in old times was called the berry of youth.

Contraindications to the consumption of cranberry berries

You can not treat cranberries with people who are hypersensitive to this plant. Too sour taste of the berry prevents its use by patients with gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer, suffering from gastritis with high acidity. An exception is the case when a bacterial infection has become the cause of gastric and intestinal diseases. Then cranberry remedies are very welcome. This is explained by the fact that the berry contains tannin. It is amazing in its ability to adhere to pathogens and excrete from the body with urine. This explains the principle of the beneficial effects of cranberries for the patient with the listed diseases.

In addition, patients with gout and urolithiasis should also use cranberries with caution. There is scientific evidence that the use of berries provokes the deposition of salts in the body during these diseases.

Cranberries are contraindicated in patients with hypotension. This is because the plant has an effect that lowers blood pressure. For those who already have it, cranberries can be dangerous.

Pregnancy Cranberries

Expectant mothers have drug restrictions. Meanwhile, viral and bacterial infections during this period are very dangerous for both the woman and the child being born. Taking antibiotics can do more harm than help. Cranberries have anti-inflammatory, bactericidal properties and this is very valuable during pregnancy.

Important! The sour taste of cranberries can reduce the effects of toxicosis during pregnancy. Recent medical studies have shown that cranberries used during pregnancy prevent violations in the development of fetal brain cells.

Many pregnant women suffer from constipation. Eating cranberries helps to cope with this problem. The role of berries in the fight against edema that affects women during pregnancy is also invaluable. Its potassium regulates electrolyte balance and metabolic processes.

Another problem that worries many pregnant women is varicose veins. And here cranberries come to the aid of the expectant mother and help get rid of her. The beneficial effect on the circulatory system extends to the placenta, which contributes to the normal development of the fetus.

During the period of gestation, many women risk the health of their teeth. Cranberries contain proanthocyanidins, which protect the oral cavity from bacteria, preventing them from invading tooth enamel and provoking the development of caries.

In general, moderate consumption of pregnant cranberries is considered safe. If the quantity is abused, the onset of undesirable consequences is possible: allergic reactions, a decrease in the level of blood coagulability, formation of kidney stones, if there was a predisposition to this.

How to save cranberries

In order to keep the vitamin composition in the fruits as full and long as possible, they must be properly stored, stocking up for the winter period. One of the fastest and best ways is quick freezing and subsequent placement in the freezer. Ice cream retains all vitamins and minerals for a long time.

A storage method in glass containers is also practiced on the lower sections of the refrigerator. To do this, the fruits are poured into a jar, filled with ordinary cold water, covered with a nylon cover. When necessary, the berries are taken out of the jar, placed in warm water, filtered, added sugar or honey, form a healthy living drink in which all the qualities of a fresh berry are preserved.

Freshly picked fruits can be stored for up to several months. After harvesting, benzoic acid in its composition is responsible for safety. Do this in small baskets in small portions in a well-ventilated place. It must be collected only fully matured. Unripe fruits do not contain that amount of useful microelements as ripe berries. Eating unripe cranberries can cause digestive upsets.

Cranberries usually appear in the human diet in late autumn and winter. It is especially useful to give it to children.

Video: the healing properties of cranberries