Cranberry juice is a popular remedy for urinary tract infections but the juice holds many more benefits for the body. Cranberries are low in fat and calories, contain no cholesterol and are high in fiber. All cranberry products have flavonoids and polyphenolics, according to the Cranberry Marketing Committee website. More recently cranberry juice has been linked with promoting oral health, preventing kidney stones, lowering bad cholesterol and raising good cholesterol.
Cranberries
Cranberries are a vibrant, glossy red color and are mostly found in North America. They are cousins to the blueberry, huckleberry, bilberry and buckberry, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. They have been used as food and for medicinal purposes for centuries. Cranberries are high in vitamin C, an antioxidant, as well as proanthocyanidins, another antioxidant which lends to the cranberry's bright color. They are most noted for the treatment of urinary tract infections but they can also help with digestion and blood disorders.
Cholesterol
There are two types of cholesterol: low density lipoprotein, or LDL; and high density lipoprotein, or HDL. LDL cholesterol has often been referred to as "bad," while HDL is referred to as "good." Though your total cholesterol number is important, your LDL and HDL numbers and ratio is a better indicator of your heart health. LDL cholesterol is produced in the body and is transported out of the body by HDL cholesterol. Therefore, the higher your HDL number, the better. Likewise, the lower your LDL number, the better. If there is not enough HDL cholesterol to carry LDL cholesterol back to the liver to be eliminated from the body, LDL cholesterol will stick to artery walls, building up and potentially causing heart problems.
Function
The small amount of fat contained in cranberries is polyunsaturated, the kind associated with obtaining healthy cholesterol, according to the Health Central website. The antioxidants in cranberry juice help prevent LDL cholesterol from becoming damaging fat that can build up in the arteries. The polyphenols found in cranberry juice help the liver to absorb more cholesterol while promoting excretion of this cholesterol as well, according to the Health Central website. However, the World's Healthiest Foods website states that the reason cranberry juice helps to reduce cholesterol has not been clearly established.
Studies
A study published in the 2005 issue of "Life Sciences," according to the Cranberry Marketing Committee website, showed that liver cells developed more receptors that bind LDL cholesterol when cranberry extract was added to those liver cells. Though this was successful in cell cultures, researchers are not certain of the effects in humans. One study published in the 1998 issue of Life Sciences and another study published in the 1999 issue of the Journal of Nutraceuticals Functional and Medical Foods used cranberry juice and cranberry extract and found that cranberries inhibit LDL oxidation in cell cultures. Oxidized LDL cholesterol is more likely to stick to the walls of the arteries.
Considerations
Consult your doctor before drinking cranberry juice for medicinal reasons. Cranberry juice may interact with other medications or herbs. The University of Maryland Medical Center reports that cranberry juice may interfere with the blood thinner medication, warfarin. Given the high sugar content of cranberry juice, those with diabetes should take caution.
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