The cranberry is an evergreen plant that is actually related to the blueberry and bilberry. The cranberry is a native of swampy areas and is typically grown in cooler climates like New England and Canada. Commercially it is grown in wet areas called bogs.
The history of the use of cranberries in America goes back to the early 1600's with the founding of Jamestown.
The cranberry is a source of the minerals calcium, magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus, plus various vitamins like Vitamin A, Vitamin B1 Thiamin, Vitamin B2 Riboflavin, Vitamin B2 Complex Niacin.
Cranberries main medicinal use, is for urinary tract support.
Cranberry is also rich in vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) and phytonutrients, including flavonoids such as proanthocyanidins (OPC) which are beneficial antioxidants.
Health Benefits - a small new study presented March 24 at the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society in New Orleans. Researchers from the University of Scranton suggested that nutrients found in cranberry juice can effectively reduce the risk of heart disease -- in some cases, up to 40 percent -- mostly by increasing levels of HDL, the "good" cholesterol. The juice was also shown to increase blood levels of antioxidant nutrients by up to 121 percent.
