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A worrisome trend:
The London Observer reports that the number of young and middle-aged people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s dementia has doubled in the past decade. According to the report, the disease is now being found in people as young as 30, who are otherwise healthy.

A Paragon of Nutritional Value

The lowly cranberry, a native-American berry best known as a colourful garnish with the traditional Thanksgiving turkey, has recently vaulted to the pantheon of foods of exceptional nutritional value.

Researchers have recently discovered that cranberries have five times the antioxidant content of broccoli, a well-known antioxidant powerhouse.

These shiny little berries, found nestled between your turkey and stuffing, are loaded with free-radical-fighting phytonutrients, powerful antioxidants that combat the 10,000 or more free radical hits that each cell of your body experiences every day. Free radical damage to cells is now believed to be the trigger for many degenerative diseases, including cancer, stroke and heart disease.

Reporting in the November edition of the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, University of Scranton researchers confirmed that cranberries are a potent source of antioxidants. Other studies confirm that extracts from the berries decrease total and LDL (bad) cholesterol. Consumption of the astringent juice has been linked to the inhibition of growth of breast cancer cells, reduction of the risk of periodontal disease and alleviation of stomach ulcers.

The age-old anecdote of the value of cranberries in reducing urinary tract infections has been established in at least eight peer-reviewed scientific studies. Consumption of cranberry juice apparently keeps Escherichia coli (E. coli), from adhering to the walls of the intestinal tract (80 - 90% of urinary tract infections are found to be caused be E. coli, a common bacteria that resides in the human gut).

Cranberry juice and juice-extracts have also been proven effective in the treatment of kidney stones. High urinary levels of calcium are known to greatly increase the risk of kidney stones and consumption of the juice reduces the amount of ionized calcium in the urine.

For the best antioxidant protection use the raw juice from the fresh berry. Processed cranberry juice, used in sweetened cranberry drinks and cocktails, has the lowest levels of antioxidants. Unfortunately, most cranberry products on the market are loaded with sugar, which is problematic, particularly for those with pre-diabetic symptoms. That's why most herbal practitioners recommend taking cranberry juice in pill form or as a cranberry concentrate. The equivalent of 500 mL or 16 oz of cranberry juice each day will deliver wide-spectrum antioxidant protection, while protecting against the formation of kidney stones under high risk conditions.

So load up on that cranberry sauce with your next turkey dinner. Your body will thank you for it!