Should Women Drink More Cranberry Juice?

When it comes to women’s health, cranberry juice is often touted as the perfect elixir to address all of our health concerns. It’s rich in antioxidants as well as vitamins A, E, C, and K1 and vitamin B6. However, as we know, not everything that’s touted as healthy is meant for us, so what exactly are the benefits of cranberries for women?

The Benefits of Cranberry Juice for Women

1. Prevents UTIs

Photo by Kristina Paukshtite from Pexels

Around 40-50% of women will experience UTIs, and they’ll experience it 30 more times more often than men (1).  UTIs are extremely uncomfortable and can cause a range of symptoms that include pain or burning when urinating, fevers, blood in the urine, as well as urine that looks cloudy and is accompanied by a foul stench.

According to a meta-analysis published in the Journal of Nutrition, cranberries helped to reduce the risk of UTIs by 26%. In addition to eating more cranberries, you can reduce your risk for UTIs by:

• Drinking more water
• Cutting back on processed foods and sugars
• Peeing before and after sex
• Eating more probiotic food (2)
• Wiping from front to back when using the toilet
• Sanitizing sex toys after every use

2. May Reduce Risk of Breast Cancer

Female breast cancer is currently the most commonly diagnosed cancer, with an estimated 2.3 million new cases occurring in 2020. That said, research has suggested that cranberries may help to reduce your risk of breast cancer.

Myricetin is a compound found in cranberries and a 2018 study found that myricetin helped to suppress the secondary malignant growth of breast cancer cells.

Cranberries can help to improve both blood pressure and cholesterol levels and both of these factors can help to reduce the risk for heart disease, all while maintaining optimal cardiovascular health.

4. Helps to prevents ulcers

Pylori is the bacteria that’s been associated with the development of ulcers, but it seems that cranberries can help you protect yourself.

A 2020 study published in the journal Food Frontiers concluded that they support the use of cranberry juice as part of a complementary approach to managing pylori infections.

Additionally, while cranberries are extremely tasty, many people would rather go for cranberry juice. Unfortunately, the high demand means that there is an influx of processed cranberry juices rich in sugars lining up on the food shelves.

As such, it’s important to go for a cranberry juice that’s unsweetened and free of added sugars and preservatives. The Ocean Spray Diet Cranberry Juice is a favorite as it’s made with real fruit juice, and it’s free of artificial flavors, sweeteners, or preservatives.

Photo by Henk van der Steege on Unsplash

Want to know more?

The Cleveland Clinic recognizes that Alzheimer’s is significantly more prevalent among women. The good news is that they believe that women can reduce their risk for the neurodegenerative disease.

References

Ci, Y., Zhang, Y., Liu, Y., Lu, S., et al. (2018). Myricetin suppresses breast cancer metastasis through down-regulating the activity of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2/9. Phytotherapy research : PTR, 32(7), 1373–1381. https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.6071

Howell, AB. (2020). Clinical evidence supporting cranberry as a complementary approach to Helicobacter pylori management. Food Frontiers. 1: 329– 331. https://doi.org/10.1002/fft2.247

Zhuxuan F., DeAnn L., David T., Mei C. (2017). Cranberry Reduces the Risk of Urinary Tract Infection Recurrence in Otherwise Healthy Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, The Journal of Nutrition, Volume 147, Issue 12, Pages 2282–2288, https://doi.org/10.3945/jn.117.254961