Cranberry juice is a refreshing drink that provides tons of health benefits.  A new addition to the list of benefits is its potential as a non-alcoholic alternative to red wine in helping lower blood pressure and promoting cardiovascular health. A research study conducted at the Queen Mary University of London by Dr. Roger Corder, author of “The Red Wine Diet”, has recently shown that the procyanidins found in cranberries helps in preventing blood vessel constriction with comparable effectiveness to those present in red wine.

Other benefits

The phytochemicals present in cranberries have been linked to prevention of cancer and urinary tract infection. Experts have reported that drinking unsweetened cranberry juice has some inhibitory effect on the growth of bacteria in the mouth thereby reducing dental plaques.

Packed with vitamins

A cup of unsweetened cranberry juice is a good source of vitamin C (23.5 mg, 39% of daily value in a 2,000 calorie diet), vitamin K (12.9 mcg, 16% DV), and vitamin E (as alpha-tocopherol at 3.0 mg, 15% DV).

Buying cranberry juice

Studies have shown that the effectiveness of the health benefits is related to the amount of procyanidins, phytochemicals and other nutrients in the beverage. For instance, a cup of cranberry juice cocktail containing a certain percentage of cranberry juice will not be as effective as a cup of 100% cranberry juice. It will be a good idea to read the ingredient list to maximize the benefits. Note that labels indicating “100% juice” may not necessarily mean “100% cranberry juice” but can refer to a mixture of juices with cranberry juice as the dominant ingredient. Also, some fruit juice options can contain high amounts of sugar which may be counterproductive.