Harmonious Healing: Cranberry Tart Treatments

Cranberries, a food associated with Thanksgiving and Christmas, have been valued by healers for their ability to heal urinary tract infections. A cousin of the blueberry, the small, tart, red berry is found both on cultivated vines and in the wild, and they do much more than just treat infections of the urinary tract.

Cranberries can also help promote digestive health, prevent kidney stones, reduce cholesterol, and even help prevent cancer.

URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS

Cranberries acidify the urine, which helps heal and prevent urinary tract infections. They also contain an antibacterial agent called hippuric acid and other compounds that reduce the ability of E. coli bacteria (responsible for 80-90% of all urinary tract infections) to adhere to the urinary tract walls.

This prevents the bacteria from attacking the tract, and the E. coli is simply washed away in the urine instead of sticking to the walls and causing infection.

DIGESTIVE AND ORAL HEALTH

Cranberries work to help prevent infections in the digestive tract and oral cavity in the same way they do in the urinary tract. The ability to block the adhesion of infectious organisms to the tissues of the body helps prevent digestive and oral "bugs". Many common pathogens are blocked by cranberrry’s components. 

KIDNEY STONES

Because cranberries contain quinic acid, they are very helpful against kidney stones. This acid is excreted, unchanged, in the urine, causing the urine to become slightly acidic. This acidity of the urine prevents calcium and phosphate ions from joining to form stones. Cranberry juice has been shown to reduce the amount of ionized calcium in the urine of those who have recurrent kidney stones by more than 50%. In the USA and other modern countries, 75-85% of kidney stones are composed of calcium salts.

CHOLESTEROL 

The University of Scranton did a research study that showed that cranberries protect LDL cholesterol from oxidation (bad cholesterol). Other studies have achieved the same results in animal research. Adding cranberries to the diet in regular amounts can help decrease LDL levels.

ANTIOXIDANT ACTION

The Cranberry Institute funded a study at the University of Scranton to study the berry's antioxidant actions. Cranberries were revealed to have five times more antioxidants than broccoli, and when compared to 19 other common fruits, ranked number one in anti-oxidant phenol content. Other studies show the same results - the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth found that cranberry juice has the most phenols and the higest radical scavenging capacity out of 20 different fruit juices.

CANCER

Recent reasearch from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth has shown that some compounds in cranberries are toxic to many cancer cell lines. The cancers that were affected were lung, cervical, prostate, breast, and leukemia cells.

Other studies have found that cranberries have the strongest ability to inhibit the growth of human liver cancer cells.

Whole cranberries should be added to the diet for cancer prevention. Juice alone is not enough. A study of mice with breast cancer showed that the growth and metastasis of tumors decreased when the mice ate cranberry presscake, the material that is left after squeezing juice from the berries.

Androgen-dependent prostate cancer cells were inhibited the most when cranberry presscake was ingested - just 10mg of warm water extract of cranberry presscake inhibited cancer cell growth by 50%.

Scientists say that cranberries prevent cancer by blocking cell cycle progression and inducing cells to undergo apoptosis, or programmed cell death, instead of developing into cancer.

MACULAR DEGENERATION

Yes, carrots help the eyes, but it seems that cranberries may help them even more. Studies show that eating three or more servings of fruit per day might help lower your risk of age-related macular degeneration. With the antioxidant and anti-cancer benefits of cranberries, a serving a day will keep the eye doctor away!

HOW TO ENJOY 

Cranberries can be enjoyed quite easily and quickly.

Throw a handful of fresh or dried cranberries into a slackor a quick tangy spark to an otherwise bland meal. Combine them with other fresh fruit, such as oranges, apples, and pineapples.

Add to muffins or cakes, or eat them with your cereal or oatmeal.

Cranberries can be added to roasted and salted nuts for a delicous snack. Throw some in with your trail mix, add them to your stuffing, sauces, or stews.

Fresh cranberries contain the highest levels of beneficial nutrients. Cranberry juice and dried cranberries can also be very helpful, but fresh is always best.