It is well known that cranberry juice is good for urinary tract problems, but now there is suggestion that a small glass every day may help lower blood pressure by a modest amount in otherwise healthy people.
The American Heart Association’s High Blood Pressure Research meeting in Washington was told of an eight-week trial that showed both the upper and lower numbers of blood pressure fell by an average of 3 millimetres of mercury in people who drank 236 millilitres of cranberry juice a day.
Most food intervention studies usually affect one number only.
Cranberries contain a broad array of flavonoids, which have been shown to reduce cardiovascular disease risk in large population studies.
As they can be very sour, sugar is often added, which increases the calorie content of the drink. In this study, sponsored by a cranberry juice producer, a low calorie version was used.
The Australian Financial Review