Most people are aware of the medicinal benefits to drinking cranberry juice, but this is usually in regards to helping prevent urinary tract infections, especially for patients who have them chronically. Indeed, many urologists do recommend daily consumption to their patients. However, recent research has come to light that has shown this amazing little berry to be potentially just as effective at promoting cardiovascular health.
The Study
This study could be potentially very significant. High blood pressure is common problem in this country and is caused by a number of things, including age, race, body type, amount of physical activity and a whole array of other variables. It does not always carry symptoms with it and can cause damage to the kidneys as well as be a major risk factor for heart attacks and strokes. While there are many drugs available on the market today to treat this condition, many come with unwanted side effects and can be expensive. That is why more and more people are trying to treat their hypertension with a variety of lifestyle changes, such as weight loss, regular exercise, stress reduction and food-based interventions like the one this study focused on.
While the results in this study are still preliminary and more research will certainly be needed, they are intriguing nonetheless. In this trial, conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture and funded by Ocean Spray, 56 participants drank either an eight-ounce glass of cranberry juice or a placebo drink containing no juice twice a day. The researchers were careful to use a “low calorie” version of this, as regular juice is high in calories and often has added sugar to help mask the tart taste of the berries. Their diet was controlled during this trial to prevent weight fluctuations and to reduce the variability of diet among the different participants. Neither the researchers nor the participants themselves were aware of who was getting the cranberry juice and who was getting the placebo.
This continued for eight weeks, and at the end of the trial, it was found that the intervention group (those receiving the cranberry juice) had an average decrease of 3mm Hg in both their systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The control group (those who had received the placebo) did not show this decrease. Researchers were particular to point out the fact that unlike most food intervention studies in relation to blood pressure, both numbers were effected. In many such studies, generally only the systolic blood pressure seems to be altered.
While admittedly 3mm Hg is not a dramatic drop, it is a definite decrease. Hopefully, this study will spur others like it to verify these results and hopefully add to researchers’ knowledge of why cranberries seem to have such a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system.
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