Content
In folk medicine, cranberry was not used for blood pressure due to the fact that in those days it was impossible to understand whether a person suffered from hypertension or hypotension. But the soaked berries were on the tables both by themselves and together with sauerkraut. Due to its high vitamin C content, it protected the population of Ancient Rus' from scurvy.
In the 19th century, the berry was cultivated and began to be grown on an industrial scale on special plantations. The large-fruited cranberry was the first to be cultivated and its cultivation became a family business in the USA and Canada. Russian marsh cranberries remained wild for a long time. Only in the second half of the last century in the USSR did work begin on the cultivation of this type of berry. Today there are 7 varieties of bog cranberries.
Cranberries do not have miraculous properties and are not a panacea for all diseases. Moreover, with a high degree of probability, imported berries from the USA are on sale. For a northern country, this is an analogue of southern oranges and lemons or dogwoods.But, in addition to increasing immunity with the help of vitamin C, the berry has one more property: it is able to correct blood pressure.
How cranberries affect blood pressure
Anyone who has tried fresh cranberries knows well that the berry, even in its ripe state, is very sour. Any acid helps thin the blood.
Instead of aspirin, you can drink a glass of cranberry compote. The berry contains a large amount of citric acid, so cranberries will relieve headaches no worse than aspirin.
When advertising berries, other acids are often mentioned:
- cinchona;
- benzoin;
- chlorogenic;
- ursolic;
- oleic;
- apple;
- sorrel;
- amber.
But the content of these acids in the berry is insignificant and one cannot count on any therapeutic effect of these substances.
Thanks to citric acid, cranberries actually lower blood pressure. Due to its diuretic effect, the berry cannot reduce blood pressure for two reasons:
- when fluid is removed from the body, the blood thickens, it becomes difficult for the heart to push it through the vessels and the pressure rises;
- the berry does not have a diuretic effect.
This “effect” is achieved by drinking a couple of glasses of cranberry juice or decoction in addition to the usual daily dose of water. You could just as easily drink plain water. If the cardiovascular system and kidneys are working normally, then excess fluid will be eliminated from the body. Otherwise, swelling will appear.
When consuming fresh berries, there will be no diuretic effect. There will be heartburn from too much acid and indigestion. Cranberries would increase blood pressure if they had a similar effect.
Useful properties and contraindications of cranberries for blood pressure
For hypertensive patients, the essentially beneficial properties of the berry lie in the ability of cranberries to reduce blood pressure, albeit by thinning the blood. To maintain sufficient acid levels, it is enough to eat several berries twice a day.
But the berry has more contraindications. There are advice to drink daily, either a glass of cranberry juice a day, or even 300 g. If you drink store-bought, you can drink at least a liter. The amount of substances contained is indicated on the packaging. If we are talking about real freshly squeezed juice, such an overdose can lead to serious problems.
How to achieve hypovitaminosis and get health problems
When planning to consume healthy vitamin C, you need to consider some introductory information:
- the human body does not produce this vitamin on its own and receives it only from the outside;
- vitamin C does not accumulate in the human body;
- with a regular overdose of vitamin C, it is excreted from the body in the urine and hypervitaminosis does not occur.
It seems that everything is fine and the consumption of cranberries need not be limited. In fact, with a constant excess intake of vitamin C, the body gets used to constantly removing the excess. If the course is interrupted, vitamin C continues to be excreted in the urine in the same quantities. As a result, hypovitaminosis occurs. Therefore, you should not consider foods containing a lot of vitamin C to be completely harmless.
Cranberry for hypertension
Due to the large amount of acid, cranberries are recommended for high blood pressure. During experiments, blood pressure decreased both in people taking medications and in those who consumed this berry.With severe hypertension, it is better not to tempt fate by using traditional medicine recipes. If the increase in pressure is not critical, it is better to start with cranberries and other similar products. Then, if the situation worsens, there will still be a supply of drugs that can be used.
If you immediately start with strong medications against hypertension, then there will be no room for maneuver. For high blood pressure, cranberries are good to use as an initial drug.
How to take cranberries for high blood pressure
Theoretically, the berry can be eaten fresh “straight from the bush.” But the sensations will be the same as chewing a piece of lemon. To prevent high blood pressure, it is enough to eat a few berries twice a day. For slightly elevated blood pressure, cranberries are mixed with sweet foods:
- honey;
- sugar.
Fruit juice and drink are prepared from a mixture of beet and cranberry juices. Below are several similar recipes for blood pressure using cranberries.
Cranberry juice for high blood pressure
0.4 kg of fresh berries are mashed to break the skin. You can knead with anything. Grinding in a blender is not recommended, since in the future you need to strain the finished product. After blending it, you can only dilute it with water and drink it immediately.
The mashed berry mass is poured with a glass of very hot water and infused a little.
Vitamin C is destroyed when boiled. The infused liquid is filtered and the pulp is squeezed out. Sugar or honey is added to the infusion. You can take half a glass systematically twice a day, if you use the composition as a preventative.
For a thirst-quenching drink, the concentration will have to be reduced by adding water.
Beet juice with cranberries under pressure
Interesting juice cocktail:
- a glass of vodka;
- 2 glasses of beet juice;
- 1.5 cups freshly squeezed cranberry;
- 1 lemon;
- honey to taste.
The juices are mixed. Add honey. Squeeze the lemon. Stir and pour in vodka. Insist for 3 days. That rare case when cranberries raise blood pressure. But the berry here plays the role of an innocently slandered one.
The course of “treatment” with such a cocktail is no more than 2 months. Take 1 tbsp. spoon 3 times a day after meals. If there are no cranberries in the house, you can raise the pressure with pure vodka. To reduce blood pressure, it is better to remove vodka from the cocktail.
Cranberry with honey for blood pressure
The berries are sorted, washed and dried. Grind in a blender or meat grinder and the resulting puree is mixed with honey. The ingredients are taken in equal proportions.
Honey It is recommended to take uncandied honey, but even in a honey-bearing year, honey is pumped for the last time in August, and cranberries begin to ripen only in mid-September. Real honey from an apiary is normally candied within 1-2 months. Therefore, it is almost impossible to combine natural liquid honey and cranberries. But candied honey will melt in cranberry juice, so it is more important to buy high-quality honey than liquid honey.
Take the prepared mixture 1 tbsp. spoon after eating.
Cranberry infusion for blood pressure
A regular cranberry infusion also helps with blood pressure when consumed regularly. Making an infusion is easy: mash a glass of berries, put them in a thermos and pour half a liter of hot water. The thermos is closed and infused for 24 hours. Can be drunk as a regular soft drink.
Contraindications
Contrary to popular recommendations, it is not advisable to consume cranberries on an empty stomach. With regular consumption of acid doses, sooner or later an acid imbalance will arise in the stomach and heartburn will become a faithful companion in life. You should also not eat berries if you have certain diseases:
- gastritis;
- increased stomach acidity;
- peptic ulcer;
- immediately after diarrhea;
- kidney stone disease;
- liver diseases;
- low blood pressure;
- salt deposition in joints;
- taking certain medications that are incompatible with the berry.
For gastrointestinal diseases (the first 4 of those listed), fresh berries are strictly forbidden, but if necessary, you can gradually consume dried and processed ones.
Conclusion
Cranberry for blood pressure is used infrequently and is not a real remedy. This is a nutritional supplement that helps correct incipient problems, but requires drug intervention in more severe cases. The berry cannot be considered as a complete replacement for medications that regulate blood pressure.
