HOLISTIC HEALTH Everything you've heard is true

The simple cranberry has plenty of health-improving qualities.
Laura Scarnecchia, who helps prepare food at The Flaming Ice Cube in Boardman, is hooked on cranberries, and not just because they're healthful.
"I just love the taste of cranberries," she explained. "They are such a versatile fruit, and can be used in salads, soups, and breads."
Then there's the health aspect.
Probably the best known benefit from cranberry juice is to treat bladder infections. "E. coli," and other typical bacteria which invade the urine thrive in an alkaline environment. The high acidity of the juice disables the survival of the bacteria. But further research has shown that cranberry contains flavonoids called proanthocyanidins (PACs), which prevent the bacteria from adhering to the bladder wall.
It makes them less "sticky," and they will be washed out of the body. Cranberry's PACs have a unique molecular structure, making it different than other flavonoid-rich foods.
Cranberry can be used as a preventative, especially in people prone to infections. While pure, unsweetened juice is most effective, eight to 16 ounces daily of even cranberry juice cocktail (at least 27 percent juice) also works. In recent studies, urine specimens from women who drank 8.5 ounces of cocktail were shown to reduce 79 percent of 24 antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria.
"So many young women today suffer from chronic UTIs (urinary tract infections," Scarnecchia says. "Compared to my friends who don't consume cranberry juice, I experience none of their bladder infection problems."
Animal helath
Dogs and cats prone to bladder infections may also be treated with cranberry. While most animals will not drink the juice, some dogs enjoy cranberry sauce or "Craisons," dried cranberry snacks, both of which have the same effect as the juice.
Nancy Fox, of Health Food Center in Youngstown, says that male neutered cats seem to be more prone to urinary problems. "We carry a supplement that can be helpful for dogs and cats, called "Berry Balance," a blend of several ingredients which includes cranberry and blueberry," she says. "We also carry a line of dog and cat foods called "Wellness," which can be purchased as dry or canned, and contains cranberry as an ingredient." She says they also carry an "Ultra-Cranberry 1,000" tablet, which could be used for both people and animals.
Research is currently being done on the effects of cranberry on gastrointestinal diseases, including gastric, duodenal, and peptide ulcers, as well as gastric cancer. These diseases are caused by spiral bacteria called "H. pylori," found in about half the population. Data suggests that cranberry's antiadhesion properties may also help in the prevention of these diseases.
For this same reason, researchers have found cranberry may be effective in fighting periodontal disease. Bacteria colonies found in plaque are able to resist the force of brushing. Cranberry's antiadhesion properties may be helpful in preventing certain bacteria from adhering to the teeth.
Fox recommends drinking pure cranberry juice, as opposed to cocktail. "The benefits of cranberry juice to fight infections are greater without the added sugar," she says. Pure cranberry juice and concentrate can be purchased from health food stores.
Extra resource
But the health benefits of cranberries appear to extend beyond the antiadhesion factor.
A University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth research team found that 20 percent of human breast cancer cells were killed 20 hours after a treatment of 6.7 percent cranberry juice, and found cranberries to have the highest free-radical scavenging capacity among all fruits tested. Another team found that an extract from the cranberry demonstrated antitumor activity in leukemia, breast, prostate, lung, and cervical cancer cells lines. Cranberries are high in antioxidants, compounds which are manufactured by the body or eaten through fruits and vegetables. They are known to help fight certain cancers and heart disease, and to protect the body from exposure to harmful molecules. When the body is under stress, its ability to produce antioxidants is impaired. Antioxidant-rich foods help as a supplement.
Cardiovascular disease (mostly heart disease and stroke) is the leading cause of death in the United States. Oxidization of low-density liproprotein (LDL) cholesterol may lead to "fatty streaks" in the arteries, which can eventually restrict or block blood flow. The cranberry's flavonoids may help fight the oxidization process.
But it doesn't end there. Further research has shown that cranberries may reduce brain-cell damage due to stroke, especially in the early stages, when most severe damage occurs. Research has even found that antioxidant-rich foods, such as cranberries, protect brain cells from damage associated with aging, such as motor-coordination impairment and cognitive function, or memory loss.
Nutritionally, cranberries are a good source of vitamin A, B-complex, and C, folic acid, fiber, calcium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and sulfur.