It’s officially cranberry season in Ontario and I got the chance to venture out into a cranberry marsh. Before this little venture, I will admit, I was not really aware of how cranberries grew or how they were harvested. If you ever get the chance to visit a cranberry bog, I would highly recommend it! Spoiler alert: they grow on small shrubs or vines close to the ground in wetlands.
So What are the Health Benefits?
Cranberries are high in vitamin C
I find it incredibly convenient that cranberries are ready to pick in the fall as the weather cools down and we start entering into cold and flu season. This is a great time to up your vitamin C content and eating cranberries or drinking cranberry juice can be a great way to do that.
Cranberries are also high in other antioxidants and minerals
Along with vitamin C, cranberries are also a great source of other antioxidants like quercetin, polyphenols, proanthocyanidins, vitamin E, vitamin K, manganese, and copper. These antioxidants and minerals can help lower inflammation, support heart health, metabolic health, and immune health.
What about UTI’s?
A UTI or Urinary Tract Infection is often associated with drinking cranberry juice, and for good reason! Cranberry juice and other cranberry containing products seem to significantly reduce risk of UTI’s (1). Those proanthocyanidins we mentioned in the antioxidants section, along with D-mannose also found in cranberries seem to be the components of cranberries helpful in preventing urinary tract infections (2,3).
What’s the best way to eat cranberries?
This one all depends on you! There are quite a few ways to incorporate cranberries into your diet.
Cranberry juice is one way.
A tip here is to make sure that if you are buying cranberry juice, it only contains cranberries and water, be sure to avoid any of the “cranberry juice cocktails” or other juices with added sugars. That being said, cranberry juice can be tart! If it is a little too tart for your palate, my suggestion would be to add your favourite sparkling water with a little maple syrup and honey. I usually do half cup sparkling water, half cup cranberry juice, and one teaspoon of maple syrup.
Cranberry sauce is another way
This one does come with a little sugar so careful not to over indulge. There are plenty of recipes to be found and it is a great addition to a Thanksgiving meal.
Dried cranberries
I plan on dehydrating my fresh cranberries in the oven to add to salads, oatmeal, or maybe to dip in some chocolate! If you are buying them from the store again make sure to watch for added sugars or preservatives. Cranberries store pretty well for quite some time and really should not need extra preservatives.
Add to smoothies, oatmeal, granola, or baked goods
I recently added some of my fresh cranberries to Saturday morning sourdough pancakes and they were delicious!
Get creative, and have fun! Hope you have a happy Thanksgiving and let me know your favourite way to eat cranberries.
References
- Wang CH, Fang CC, Chen NC, et al. Cranberry-containing products for prevention of urinary tract infections in susceptible populations: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Arch Intern Med. 2012;172(13):988-996. doi:10.1001/archinternmed.2012.3004
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/1471-2334-10-94?utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=commission_junction&utm_campaign=CONR_BOOKS_ECOM_GL_PBOK_ALWYS_DEEPLINK&utm_content=textlink&utm_term=PID100090071&CJEVENT=624da20f7b7611ef815000dd0a82b824
- Cooper TE, Teng C, Howell M, Teixeira-Pinto A, Jaure A, Wong G. D-mannose for preventing and treating urinary tract infections. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2022;8(8):CD013608. Published 2022 Aug 30. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD013608.pub2