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Fruits and berries are an important part of a balanced diet. One such healthy food is cranberries. Dried cranberry is a valuable dried fruit due to the huge amount of useful substances in it. A natural preservative – benzoic acid – in the composition of the berry retains all vitamins and minerals for a long time. Therefore, dried cranberries have the same beneficial properties as fresh ones. Due to its valuable properties, it is used in a balanced diet, cosmetology and traditional medicine.
Main characteristic
The plant belongs to the group of flowering evergreen shrubs of the heather family. Dried or dried cranberries are a product dried using a special technology. The taste of dried cranberries is pleasant and sweet, the berries are red, have a spherical shape, do not stick together and have a pleasant and rich aroma.
The plant loves a temperate climate, common in Russia, often found in swampy areas. The size of such berries can reach 16 mm. Berries are harvested in autumn – from early September to late November.
Chemical composition and nutritional value
Dried cranberries in their chemical composition are rich in dietary fiber, proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, macro- and microelements. The plant contains citric, benzoic, malic, oleic and other acids, as well as pectins, glucose, fructose and sucrose. By the amount of vitamin C in fruits, cranberries are equal to orange, lemon and grapefruit. Among other important vitamins, berries contain vitamins A, B1, B2, B4, B5, B6, E and K. The nutritional value is 308 kcal per 100 grams of the product, which is 15,4% of the norm per day. This is a unique product in which all useful substances are preserved during processing and drying. The protein content in dried cranberries is 0,07 g, carbohydrates – 83 g, fats – 1,4 g, dietary fiber – 5,8 g, saturated fatty acids – 0,1 g. Cranberries also contain useful minerals, such as calcium, magnesium, sodium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, zinc, manganese, copper and selenium.
Moderate consumption of berries will help rejuvenate the body, strengthen immunity and improve metabolism.
Useful Properties
Dried cranberries have many health benefits. First of all, the berry is a powerful antioxidant, which prevents the formation of free radicals in the cells of the body. This has a beneficial effect on health and rejuvenates the body.
The berry contains many useful vitamins and minerals. Vitamin C, found in the berry, helps to strengthen the immune system and protects the body from viral infections and colds. At high temperatures, cranberry tea effectively helps fight colds. This is due to the fact that such a drink removes harmful substances with sweat and urine, as a result of which the body temperature drops and the body is cleansed.
For women suffering from such an unpleasant intimate disease as cystitis, it is useful to take cranberry juice at the initial stage and even with advanced chronic form. In order to prevent and prevent disease, it is useful to drink 1,5 glasses of juice daily.
The berry helps to improve the condition of blood vessels due to the content of vitamins C and PP in it. Its regular use prevents the formation of plaques, the appearance of blood clots and varicose veins, as well as strengthening the walls of blood vessels and increasing their elasticity. Also, the product during pregnancy improves the blood circulation of the fetus.
Dried cranberries are used as a natural antibiotic due to the content of tannin in it – an organic substance that has a binding effect and removes bacteria and viruses from the body. Berries are also eaten for purulent skin diseases, lichen, scrofula, skin arthritis and psoriasis.
Eating dried cranberries is also beneficial for the following ailments:
- with problems with the bladder (the berry blocks the entry of harmful bacteria);
- at the risk of the formation of cancer cells in the stomach, with an ulcer (a natural antibiotic eliminates bacteria on the walls of the gastrointestinal tract);
- with poor digestion and poor appetite;
- with blood clotting disorders;
- with a decrease in physical activity and mental performance;
- with an imbalance in the level of acidity;
- with colitis, gastritis and inflammation of the pancreas (after heat treatment).
Being a natural antioxidant, dried cranberries prevent early aging by fighting free radicals. After all, with age, the accumulation of free radicals in the body affects the cellular metabolism in the body and can provoke the development of various diseases. Therefore, it is very useful to use the product for the regeneration of skin, hair and nails. The berry helps to remove fine wrinkles and contributes to a slight effect of skin lifting. Cranberry also effectively helps to remove red spots, acne and rashes on the face. The beneficial effects of the berry will be felt by people with oily skin, due to the normalization of the sebaceous glands. When dried cranberries are applied externally, dandruff disappears and the hair becomes soft. With regular use of the product, bones and teeth are strengthened, and dried fruit prevents the development of caries and the appearance of tartar. When using cranberries with honey, its healing effect increases.
American experts recommend eating 1/3 cup of dried berries daily.
Contraindications and harm
Any product is useful when used in moderation. Therefore, excessive consumption of berries can adversely affect health. With the abuse of cranberries, you can get gastritis and peptic ulcer. Moreover, the acids contained in the product can lead to damage to tooth enamel. The product also contains a high amount of carbohydrates.
Contraindications to the use of dried cranberries exist for people who have a peptic ulcer, with diseases of the liver and duodenum, and an increased level of acidity in the body. It is not recommended to eat berries for heartburn, gastritis, individual intolerance and problems with tooth enamel.
Many mothers have a question about the benefits of cranberries for children. Experts do not recommend giving berries to children under three years of age. It is recommended to introduce the product into the diet gradually after three years to avoid allergies. For nursing mothers, the use of dried cranberries is considered a forbidden product.
Culinary use
In cooking, dried cranberries are often used as a base for mousses and sauces. Also, dried fruit is often added to tea, compote, juice or fruit drink. An excellent dish will be baking with the addition of berries. Traditionally, the dried product is added to pilaf, cereals, salads and side dishes, served with chicken, cheese or meat dishes.
Cooking at home
On sale, dried cranberry fruits are often found to be overly sweet. A more useful and natural product can be obtained at home. To prepare dried cranberries, you need to choose the freshest berries. It is recommended to choose berries for cooking that are dark red in color with a sweet and sour taste. If the berries are soft and wrinkled, then this means that they are not fresh. It is necessary to put a large frying pan on the stove, add 340 g of freshly washed berries, 1 cup of water and bring to a boil. After that, the mixture should be kept on low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring. Let the cranberries cool for about 10 minutes. Arrange cranberries on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and paper towels. Place the berries in the oven for 6-8 hours at a temperature of 65 ⁰C, in a slow cooker or electric dryer.
The resulting dried berries are recommended to be stored in fabric bags.
Application in cosmetology and nutrition
In cosmetology, decoctions of dried cranberries are used. They are applied to the body as lotions to cleanse the skin. To normalize the work of the sebaceous glands, the skin is wiped with ice cubes from frozen cranberries.
In dietology, cranberries are used for weight loss or proper nutrition. A combination of berries with rice, millet, low-fat cottage cheese or salad is considered an excellent dietary dish. For effective weight loss, they drink cranberry compote without sugar, 0,5 cups before breakfast. For an intensive diet, a special cocktail is used, which consists of 250 g of cranberry compote, 1,5 l of mineral water, 50 ml of lemon juice, ginger, cinnamon, 3 tbsp. spoons of concentrated cranberry juice, nutmeg. The resulting mixture is boiled for 10 minutes and drunk during the day.
Thus, dried miracle cranberries contain many useful substances. Regular use of this product will have a beneficial effect on health and give vigor and energy.