Cranberries Great for your health

Berries come in many varieties: blueberries, blackberries, cranberries, red and black raspberries, loganberries, currants,

gooseberries, lingonberries, and bilberries.

Berry fruits contain two main types of antioxidants: polyphenols

and ascorbic acid.

Polyphenols are composed of a wide range of compounds,

including anthocyanins, flavanols, quercetin, ursolic acid, and

ellagic acid derivatives.

The polyphenolic composition of berries varies with the species,

variety, degree of ripeness and type of processing.

Berries also contain lutein, calcium, magnesium, folic acid, and

potassium, and are low in calories.

Why do we need antioxidants?

In normal metabolism, the levels of oxidants and antioxidants in

humans are maintained in balance. This is important for sustaining

optimal physiological conditions. Certain conditions can cause an

overproduction of oxidants, leading to an imbalance of oxidants

and antioxidants in the body. The result of this imbalance is

oxidative damage to lipids, DNA, and proteins. Oxidative damage

is cancer-inducing, and may be prevented or limited by dietary

antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables. Recent studies have

shown that phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables are

compounds that help to eliminate harmful oxidants and are,

therefore, beneficial to human health.

Pennington Nutrition Series

Healthier lives through education in nutrition and preventive medicine No. 41

Fruit Total Phenolic Content mg/100 g

(soluble free+ bound)

Total Antioxidant Activity

µmol of vitamin C equiv. per

g of fresh wt of edible fruit

Apple 296.3 ± 6.4 97.6 ± 4.6

Banana 90.4 ± 3.2 32.8 ± 1.5

Cranberry 527.2 ± 21.5 177.0 ± 4.3

Grapefruit 49.6 ± 2.6 24.7 ± 0.17

Lemon 81.9 ± 3.5 42.8 ± 1.0

Orange 81.2 ± 1.1 31.5 ± 0.27

Peach 84.6 ± 0.7 49.5 ± 2.8

Pear 70.6 ± 1.6 34.2 ± 0.3

Pineapple 94.3 ± 1.5 16.9 ± 0.3

Red Grape 201.0 ± 2.9 64.7 ± 1.6

Strawberry 160.0 ± 1.2 64.4 ± 1.1

The top 5 are highlighted in each category.

Total Phenolic Content & Total Antioxidant Activity of 11 Fruits

Fruit Antiproliferative activities,

expressed as the median effective

dose (EC50) [mg/ml]*

Cranberry 14.5 ± 0.5

Lemon 30.6 ± 0.8

Apple 49.4 ± 1.6

Strawberry 56.3 ± 1.5

Red Grape 71.0 ± 2.2

Banana 110.1 ± 2.5

Grapefruit 130.1 ± 4.5

Antiproliferative Activities of Fruit Extracts

Antiproliferative Activities

Antiproliferative means preventing

rapid cell growth.

Among the eleven selected common

fruits: cranberry, lemon, apple,

strawberry, red grape, banana, and

grapefruit showed relatively potent

antiproliferative activities on

cell cultures.

Since these fruits were effective, they

can prevent rapid cell growth, e.g.

cancer cells.

* Lower EC50 values indicate a higher

antiproliferative activity

Antioxidants, particularly phenolic antioxidants,

provide great health benefits. A study tested both

the total phenolic content and the total antioxidant

activity in eleven selected common fruits. In

addition, the study examined antiproliferation

properties in cell culture. Among all tests on the

eleven fruits, cranberries ranked first, suggesting

that these berries are superior to all ten of the

other fruits and berries tested in regards to

potential health benefits.

Why do we need antioxidants?

Research Findings on Cranberries

Urinary Tract Infections In herbal medicine, cranberry fruits and leaves have

been used for a variety of medical conditions, such

as wounds, urinary disorders, diarrhea, diabetes,

stomach ailments and liver problems.

Recently, cranberry products have been used in the

prevention and treatment of urinary tract infections

and Helicobacter pylori infections (which leads to

stomach ulcers or even gastric cancer over time).

Cranberries have also been reported to have

antioxidant properties useful in the

prevention of heart disease and

cancer.

Overview

Cranberry juice has been used for the

prevention of urinary tract infections (UTI).

Research has now linked this property to

the ability of cranberry proanthocyanidins

to inhibit the adhesion of Escherichia coli ,

the bacteria responsible for these in-

fections, in the urinary tract.

H. Pylori Infections

Cranberry constituents can also inhibit

the adhesion of H. pylori to human

gastric mucus. A randomized,

double-blind human trial found signifi-

cantly lower levels of H. pylori infection

in adults consuming cranberry juice.

Cancer

Cranberry flavonoids (flavanols and anthocyanins) have an

important role in chemoprevention and may act synergistically. In

several studies, they stopped the growth of various cancer cells and

significantly reduced proliferation of cancerous cells.

Cyclooxygenase is an enzyme responsible for various enzymatic

reactions in the body. Cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) may be

increased in cancer, while cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is an enzyme

produced during inflammation. Inhibition of COX-1 and-2 by

cranberry phytochemicals, particularly anthocyanins, may lead to

a decreased risk for the development of some cancers.

Helicobacter Pylori

A UCLA study showed that water-soluble cranberry phenolic

extracts inhibited the proliferation of several human tumor cell

lines, including mouth, colon, and prostate cancer cells. This study

provided support that cranberry flavonoids act synergistically in

preventing cell line growth and proliferation. The anthocyanin and

proanthocyanin subfractions were less effective alone than in total

extract.

The Pennington Biomedical Research Center is a world-renowned nutrition research

center.

Mission:

To promote healthier lives through research and education in nutrition and preventive

medicine.

The Pennington Center has several research areas, including

Clinical Obesity Research

Experimental Obesity

Functional Foods

Health and Performance Enhancement

Nutrition and Chronic Diseases

Nutrition and the Brain

Dementia, Alzheimer’s and healthy aging

Diet, exercise, weight loss and weight loss maintenance

The research fostered in these areas can have a profound impact on healthy living and

on the prevention of common chronic diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, diabe-

tes, hypertension and osteoporosis.

The Division of Education provides education and information to the scientific commu-

nity and the public about research findings, training programs and research areas, and

coordinates educational events for the public on various health issues.

We invite people of all ages and backgrounds to participate in the exciting research

studies being conducted at the Pennington Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. If you

would like to take part, visit the clinical trials web page at www.pbrc.edu or call (225)

763-3000.

Heart Disease

Cranberries have also been suggested to play a role in the

prevention of heart disease. This is likely largely due to the high

antioxidant capacity of cranberries.

Seeram N. Blackberry, black raspberry, blueberry, cranberry,

red raspberry and strawberry extract inhibit growth and

stimulate apoptosis of human cancer cells in vitro.

J Agric Food Chem. 2006; 54: 9329-39.

Neto C. Cranberry and its phytochemicals: a review of in vitro

anticancer studies. J Nutr. 2007; 137: 186S-193S.

Sun J et al. Antioxidant and antiproliferative activities of com-

mon fruits. J Agric Food Chem. 2002; 50: 7449-7454.

Herbs at a Glance. Cranberries. National Center for Comple-

mentary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM). Available at:

http://nccam.nih.gov/health/cranberry/

References

Pennington Nutrition Series No 41 10/07

Authors

Heli J. Roy, PhD, RD

Shanna Lundy, MS

Chad Eriksen, BA

Beth Kalicki

Division of Education

Phillip Brantley, PhD, Director

Pennington Biomedical Research Center

Claude Bouchard, PhD, Executive Director

Edited : October 2009