Cranberry in MAY? Usually, that means you’re purging the pantry and tossing out the dented cranberry sauce cans left over from Thanksgiving… of 1983. (What a fine vintage that was!)
But maybe it’s time to show this humble berry more respect. And not just at Thanksgiving.
Because new research shows why it could be time to make the cranberry a year-round part of your routine.
It turns out those little red gems could hold the secret to stronger, cleaner blood vessels where everything flows faster, smoother, and easier. That blood flow boost could help protect you from heart attacks and other major cardiovascular events.
And you don’t even need to eat cranberry sauce to reap those rewards. In fact, this one works better if you don’t because there are much better ways to get the benefits of cranberry.
I’ll share those with you in just a moment.
The blood flow benefits of cranberry
The new study didn’t test cranberry sauce, of course. The researchers used a supplement instead. It was a powdered form of cranberry equal to about 3.5 ounces of fresh fruit.
Some of the volunteers got the real-deal cranberry powder. And some were given a look-alike placebo.
It didn’t take long for the researchers to spot the changes. In fact, there were significant and noticeable differences within just TWO hours of taking the cranberry supplement.
The guys who had been given the real cranberry had significant changes in what’s known as flow-mediated dilation. It’s a crucial measure of blood vessel function, and a key way doctors and scientists measure overall cardiovascular risk.
Even SMALL improvements in flow-mediated dilation can lead to MAJOR benefits. And in this case, those improvements happened within two hours of swallowing the cranberry supplement.
But this wasn’t a two-hour study, of course. It went on for a month, with guys taking a daily dose of either the cranberry or the placebo.
And by the end of the experiment, not only did those increases in flow-mediated dilation hold. The guys getting the real supplement had additional improvements suggesting good blood-vessel function, too.
The best way to get those heart benefits
The biggest problem with the cranberry fruit is its taste. You know exactly what I mean if you’ve ever popped a raw, unprocessed cranberry into your mouth.
And if you haven’t tasted one before… DON’T. You’re liable to gag.
Cranberry fruit is extremely tart, so the berries have to be drowned in sugary goop before they can be served at your Thanksgiving table. Or mixed with other juices (and often sugar) before they’re even remotely drinkable.
Just check the ingredients on a “cranberry juice” bottle the next time you’re in the store.
Fortunately, there are other ways to fit cranberry into your routine. Supplements like the powder used in the new study, extracts, and capsules are good options.
Along with improving blood flow (flow-mediated dilation) and cutting heart risk, studies show cranberry can potentially reduce your risks for urinary tract infections.
There’s always a lot of controversy over this subject, but research has clearly shown that cranberry may be as effective as antibiotics in some cases. And since it’s natural, affordable, and widely available, cranberry is an excellent option for women prone to UTIs.
You’ll find all the details in my recent report, “Seasonal superstar stops UTIs from returning.”
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