Cranberries Are Good for Your Heart

Researchers at Laval University in Quebec, Canada have found that drinking cranberry juice can reduce your risk of several forms of heart disease. A group of 30 men was asked to drink up to a pint of cranberry juice each, daily for three weeks. The study was looking for an effect on the oxidation of cholesterol and the level of what are called adhesion molecules. The levels of both decreased significantly, compared to levels at the beginning of the study. Cholesterol in your bloodstream doesn’t become a problem until it oxidizes—at which point it begins to damage the lining of blood vessels. Adhesion molecules play a role in damage to the lining of your blood vessels. Reduced levels indicate an increased ability of your arteries to resist the effects of damaging substances such as oxidized cholesterol.

We have reported on the cardiovascular benefits of cranberry previously. This latest study shows that cranberries both strengthen your arteries directly an weaken the force directed against them. The protective ability of cranberries is due to their content of certain antioxidants. The compounds peonidin and petunidin resist breakdown in your body, and they are found in cranberries at higher levels than in other fruits. The researchers in the study gave the men a “lowcalorie cranberry juice cocktail.” Unfortunately most cranberry “cocktail” drinks contain only about 25 percent juice or less, and are loaded with added sugars or artificial sweeteners. You’re far better off eating cranberries themselves, or getting cranberry powder in your diet. The whole berries are tart so you’ll probably want to sweeten them with something such as xylitol. If you choose a powder, you don’t need very much of it per day—just 50–100 mg combined with plenty of other fruits and vegetables is enough to do the trick.