Cranberry for type 2 diabetes

For type 2 diabetes, cranberries are not so much a delicacy as an essential element of the diet. It has been scientifically proven that daily consumption of this berry not only stimulates the pancreas and stabilizes hormonal levels, which are disturbed in diabetes, but also normalizes metabolism and, most importantly, lowers blood sugar levels.

Vitamin composition

Cranberries contain a large number of useful elements necessary for diabetic patients. It includes:

• organic acids (benzoic, ascorbic, citric, quinic);
• vitamins C (cranberries are second only to black currants in vitamin C content), E, ​​K1 (also known as phylloquinone), PP;
• B vitamins (B1, B2, B6);
• betaines;
• pectins;
• catechins;
• anthocyanins;
• phenols;
• carotenoids;
• pyridoxine, thiamine, niacin;
• minerals (phosphorus, iron, potassium, manganese, calcium, iodine, zinc, boron, silver);
• chlorogenic acids.

Thanks to such a rich vitamin composition, cranberry’s effect on the human body is not inferior to many medications, if not superior to them. The fact is that almost every medication has its own contraindications and side effects, which is why they are not available to everyone.This cannot be said about cranberries - they are recommended for consumption in diabetes of any type and do not cause any side effects, and the list of contraindications for the berry is extremely small.

Beneficial properties of cranberries for diabetes

Cranberries have a wide range of beneficial properties, due to which regular moderate consumption of this berry has a number of positive effects on the human body, namely:

• normalizes kidney function;
• strengthens the walls of blood vessels;
• improves digestion and improves impaired metabolism;
• lowers blood pressure;
• has a strengthening effect on the immune system;
• inhibits the breakdown and absorption of glucose;
• has a regenerative effect on the cells of the body;
• reduces the risk of developing glaucoma;
• improves vision by stabilizing intraocular pressure;
• increases the effectiveness of antibacterial drugs, which allows minimizing the consumption of antibiotics in type 2 diabetes;
• has an antiseptic effect on the body and reduces the intensity of inflammatory processes.

Contraindications

The high content of ascorbic acid in cranberries imposes a number of restrictions on the consumption of this product.

Possible contraindications:

1. Patients with type 2 diabetes and stomach ulcers should limit their consumption of berries, as ascorbic acid can cause the development of ulcers.
2. Products with a high acid content are contraindicated for duodenal ulcers, colitis, and gastritis.
3. Under no circumstances should people with kidney stones consume products containing cranberries.
4. Excessive consumption of berries is not recommended for people with type 2 diabetes and a pronounced tendency to food allergies.

In what form to use for diabetes

Cranberries can be consumed in almost any form. Not only fresh berries are useful - they retain their beneficial properties well even after processing. When treating type 2 diabetes, it is allowed to eat dried, frozen, or soaked berries. Moreover, they are used to make jelly, make fruit drinks, cocktails, juices, fresh juices, and also add berries to herbal and fruit teas.

Juices

You can squeeze juice from cranberries. One-time or irregular consumption of juice will not have a significant effect on the body - cranberry squeezes are usually drunk in courses of 3 months. In this case, the daily dose of the drink is on average 240-250 ml.

Kvass

No less useful is cranberry kvass, which is very easy to prepare. The recipe for cranberry kvass is as follows:

• 1 kg of cranberries is thoroughly ground (for this you can use a wooden pestle and a colander or a sieve);
• the squeezed juice is infused for some time, after which it is poured with water (3-4 l) and boiled for 15-20 minutes, no more;
• filter the cooled juice through a fine sieve;
• sweeteners (about 500 g) are poured into the strained berry juices and boiled for the second time;
• boiled juice is diluted with yeast (25 g), previously dissolved in warm water;
• the resulting solution is thoroughly stirred and poured into glass containers (jars, bottles).

After 3 days, the kvass is ready for use.

Jam with honey

Cranberries and honey go well together, beneficially complementing each other’s beneficial properties and forming an unusual combination of taste. These two products are best combined in the form of honey-cranberry jam, which is cooked according to the following recipe:

• 1 kg of berries intended for cooking are carefully sorted and washed before immersion in water;
• the selected cranberries are poured into a saucepan and filled with water;
• the berries are boiled under a closed lid until completely softened, after which the resulting mass is ground through a sieve or colander;
• mashed berries are mixed with honey (2.5-3 kg) until a homogeneous consistency is formed;
• Add walnuts (1 cup) and finely chopped apples (1 kg) to the resulting mixture.

Cranberry jelly

You can also make cranberry jelly from fresh berries. For this you will need:

• 2 cups cranberries;
• 30 g gelatin;
• 0.5 l of water;
• 1 tbsp. l. liquor;
• elastic molds.

The cranberry jelly recipe looks like this:

• washed berries are kneaded with a spoon to a thick paste and rubbed through a sieve;
• the resulting berry pulp is poured with boiling water and cooked for 10 minutes;
• the boiled mass is filtered and diluted with xylitol, after which the berries must be poured with gelatin;
• the mixture is boiled again, cooled and poured first with sweet syrup and then with liqueur;
• The resulting mass is whipped using a mixer, poured into molds, which are then placed in the refrigerator.

If desired, you can cover the resulting cranberry jelly with a layer of ice cream or cream.

Cocktail

Beak juice goes well with other drinks. Possible cocktails:

• a mixture of cranberry and carrot juice;
• a combination of cranberry juice with yogurt, milk or kefir;
• cranberry juice diluted with neutral celery juice.

Cocktail proportions: 1:1.

Optimal dose of drinks: no more than 100 g per day.

Cranberry juice for type 2 diabetes

When processing berries, some of the beneficial substances are inevitably lost, but when making cranberry juice, these losses are minimal. A two-month course of cranberry juice stabilizes blood glucose levels and promotes overall strengthening of the body.

The process of making cranberry juice is very simple:

• a glass of fresh or freshly frozen berries is thoroughly ground through a sieve with a wooden pestle;
• the squeezed juice is drained and diluted with fructose in a 1:1 ratio;
• berry pomace is poured into 1.5 liters of water and boiled;
• The cooled berry mass is cooled and filtered, after which it is diluted with juice.

For type 2 diabetes mellitus, it is recommended to drink cranberry juice in a course for 2-3 months, and both hot and cooled drinks are equally beneficial. The daily norm of fruit drink is 2-3 glasses, no more. At the end of the course you need to take a short break.

Conclusion

Cranberry for diabetes is not a panacea at all, and it is impossible to cure it only through regular consumption of the berry. Despite its rich vitamin composition and an extensive list of beneficial properties, it cannot replace the insulin the body needs.However, its combination with other medications and products not only improves the overall well-being of diabetic patients, but also prevents numerous complications of this disease.

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