What are Cranberries?
Cranberries are small, tart, ruby-red berries that grace the Thanksgiving tables in North America as side dishes and desserts, including other holiday celebrations. Rich in essential nutrients, cranberries contribute to the normal function of your immune system. As an excellent source of vitamin C, colorful berries help you fend off coughs and colds. In this article we will cover everything you need to know about cranberry with vitamin c softgels.
Cranberry extract comes from the small, sour, red berries that grow on a type of evergreen dwarf shrub (Vaccinium macrocarpon) found in wet regions. Originally native to North America, Chile also grows cranberries. But the United States is the world’s leader in harvesting cranberries, with most of them coming from Wisconsin and Massachusetts.
Furthermore, the historical applications of cranberries are extensive. Native Americans harvested cranberries and ate them fresh and dried. They stored them as cakes and steeped the leaves as tea. The eastern Canadian Indians even used the leaves as tobacco.
The Indians also used the nourishing berries as natural remedies to ward off indigestion and as a poultice for wounds.
Today, you may regulate your blood sugar to prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs) by taking cranberry with vitamin C softgel capsules.
Why Cranberry and Vitamin C Softgel Capsules?
You may find taking tablets difficult to swallow, but will not have similarly issues with softgel capsules. Softgel capsules are particularly beneficial if you feel uncomfortable taking pills because softgels are tasteless and go down smoothly.
They quickly dissolve and digest when taken orally, providing better absorption into your digestive system. Softgels are perfect because the airtight seal of the capsule increases the vitamin’s shelf life (x).
Benefits of Cranberries
Functions as an Antioxidant
Cranberries contain anthocyanins, playing a significant role in protecting cells from harm caused by free radicals and oxidative stress. In other words, they influence anti-inflammatory effects that boost our immune responses (x).
Anthocyanin-rich foods are beneficial to overall health because they have a wide range of biological activities. Anthocyanins possess phenolic phytochemicals for defending against cancer, diabetes, supporting collagen production and enhancing cardiovascular health. Vitamin C plays an essential role in helping your body assimilate collagen.
Cranberries combined with vitamin C generate high antioxidant properties, inhibiting the growth of bacteria and aiding in preventing urinary tract infections (x, x).
Other berries, like strawberries, raspberries and blueberries, contain antioxidants, fiber and other nutrients. However, cranberries have the highest quantity of phenols disease-fighting antioxidants (x).
Help Prevent UTIs
Urinary tract infections happen with bacteria sticks to the walls of your bladder. For centuries, people have revered cranberries for their ability to prevent and possibly cure these infections. UTIs occur more often in women than men, usually caused by E. coli bacteria. Symptoms include pain, frequent urination, stomach cramps, and blood in the urine in rare cases.
Medically treating UTIs requires doctors to prescribe antibiotics, kill the bacteria and clear up the infection. More importantly, though, cranberries prevent the adherence of bacteria to the bladder wall.
Cranberry treatment is most beneficial for older people because the fruit has few adverse effects. And cranberry is optimal for women who suffer from frequent urinary tract infections, mainly when they take vitamin C with cranberry. Adding vitamin C prevents bacteria from making urine more acidic. Diet and acidic urine may influence bacteria growth in your urinary tract. (x, x).
What makes cranberries effective in treating UTIs? They contain potent antioxidants called proanthocyanidins. They prevent bacteria from attaching to urinary tract walls (x). In a12-month study of women with recurring UTIs, cranberries reduced the occurrence of UTIs by 35 percent (x).
Advances Heart Health
Maintaining a healthy heart is crucial to longevity. Thus, cranberry has positive effects on cardiovascular health while promoting heart health and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease (x, x, x).
The nutrients in cranberries may reduce the risk of heart disease. Cranberries exert cholesterol benefits in various ways. First, they prevent LDL from transforming into damaging lipid particles that invade artery walls. Second, because of polyphenols, the liver absorbs more blood cholesterol. It promotes the excretion of this cholesterol into the gut as bile, eliminating the bad cholesterol from your body. That way, your body boosts good cholesterol levels into the bloodstream.
Vitamin C Supports Good Cholesterol
Adding vitamin C to the cranberry softgel capsules gives the supplement an extra Adding vitamin C to the cranberry softgel capsules gives the supplement an extra boost to reduce LDL cholesterol levels and transform this bad cholesterol into bile acids for elimination and removal from the bloodstream (x).
Regulates Blood Sugar and Glucose Levels
Most fruits are very high in essential nutrients. They contain high amounts of sugar. Cranberries, however, contain high amounts of tannins, helping to regulate blood sugar levels and keep glucose levels balanced (x).
Supplementing cranberry and vitamin C softgel capsules lowers glucose levels and reverses insulin resistance in diabetic patients (x). The polyphenols in cranberries help regulate blood glucose levels for insulin responses (x).
Supplementing cranberry and vitamin C softgel capsules lowers glucose levels and reverses insulin resistance in diabetic patients (x). The polyphenols in cranberries help regulate blood glucose levels for insulin responses (x).
Supports Dental Health
The anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory antioxidants in cranberries are also beneficial to oral health. Incidentally, cranberries contain flavonoids that stop the formation of dental plaque and may help treat gum disease (x).
Plaque buildup causes cavities and leads to tooth decay. As a matter of fact, cranberries stop acid production and block bacteria from sticking to your teeth, not to mention treating diseases like gingivitis (x).
The additional vitamin C is also a potent antioxidant that helps your body assimilate collagen. Collagen enables you to develop and maintain healthy gums. It even reverses a receding gum line (x, x).
Anti-Inflammatory
Chronic inflammation can lead to heart disease, cancer, diabetes and obesity. Cranberries contain:
- Anti-inflammatory and cancer-preventing properties
- Phytonutrients reduce infection risk
- Compounds block inflammatory cells (x)
Most importantly, the anti-inflammatory potential of cranberry polyphenols ensures viruses do not invade your blood cells and may help stop cancer cells from spreading throughout the body.
With the added vitamin C in the softgel capsules, it circulates throughout your body as an antioxidant with immune-supporting effects (x).
Helps the Body to Prevent Cancer
A diet rich in fiber lowers the risk of bowel, stomach and intestinal cancer. Studies suggest that the high fiber content in cranberries stops the growth and development of tumors in the colon and the rectum (x).
Cranberries contain potent compounds that fight inflammation in the intestinal tract that, left unchecked, can lead to cancer (x).
Vitamin C is just as beneficial in helping the body prevent cancer (x).
Slows Down the Aging Process
Rich in polyphenols and Vitamin C and E, cranberries help you maintain a healthy complexion by minimizing the visible signs of aging, like fine lines, wrinkles and loss of elasticity.
Polyphenols in cranberries promote collagen production, slowing down the aging process (x). The high antioxidant content in cranberry and vitamin C softgel capsules is essential for protecting skin against damaging environmental stressors (x).
Protects Your Stomach from Developing Ulcers
Research has shown that cranberries protect against ulcers and other digestive Research has shown that cranberries protect against ulcers and other digestive problems. The natural compounds, called proanthocyanidins, in cranberries prevent H. Pylori, the bacteria that causes ulcers, from sticking to the stomach’s lining (x).
These properties lower the level of bacteria that cause stomach ulcers (x). Indeed, taking cranberry supplements can be effective in limiting and preventing peptic ulcer disease and gastric cancer.
Vitamin C in these softgel capsules may also protect your stomach and upper portion of your small intestines from peptic ulcers caused by H. Pylori (x).
Cranberry Softgel Capsules Side Effects
The benefits of cranberry juice concerning urinary tract health received praise for generations. It is a powerful supplement that supports digestive health and offers high antioxidants, dietary fiber and vitamin C. More importantly, cranberry and vitamin C softgel capsules contain a high concentration of the beneficial compounds of cranberries known to stave off UTIs.
It is also a well-tolerated supplement that provides a convenient way to get all the benefits that cranberry juice and vitamin C offer without unnecessary sugars.
Side effects may include an upset stomach, diarrhea and an increased risk of kidney stones.
Cranberry is a highly beneficial supplement, but it does not replace the medical advice or treatment given by your doctor or healthcare professional.
If you are pregnant or nursing, consult a physician first. Consult a physician if you have a history of kidney stones, cirrhosis or other liver diseases.
Avoid cranberry extract if you have diabetes, a stomach disorder, or an aspirin allergy. Though some studies report cranberry and Vitamin C lowers sugar and glucose levels.
Cranberry Softgel Capsules Dosage
Try taking one softgel capsule (vitamin C 40 mg and cranberry extract 60 mg) daily with or without meals or as directed by your healthcare provider.
The Bottom Line
Supplementing cranberry and vitamin C softgel capsules is beneficial to your overall health and well-being.
Because of the high amounts of anthocyanins in cranberries and a higher content of antioxidants than most other fruits, cranberry extract can enhance cardiovascular and digestive health, prevent urinary tract infections, increase collagen production and combat the visible signs of aging.
Without a doubt, cranberries and vitamin C have showed their ability to decrease symptoms or prevent UTIs. Although, there isn’t sufficient information to determine whether cranberry and vitamin C softgel capsules can replace a visit to your doctor or the prescribed treatment for UTIs.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.