Why Cranberries Should Be In Your Shopping Cart (Plus 3 Delish Recipes!)

By Cristen Dillon, SELF magazine

I grew up on Cape Cod, Massachusetts which is home to many of the countries best cranberry bogs. Cranberries are at their peak ripeness right now so you probably have seen them for sale in your grocery store and they are definitely an item to throw in your cart!

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For a small little red fruit, cranberries pack a big health punch. Research on cranberries is on-going but we know they contain phytochemicals such as flavonoids and polyphenols. They are also rich in antioxidants. This combination gives cranberries the power to block harmful bacteria from reaching parts of your body. To this point we know these compounds are specifically good at targeting urinary tract infections, stomach ulcers and gum disease but many scientists are optimistic that the effects could be much farther reaching.

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Cranberries are an easy fruit to incorporate into a variety baked goods and they also make delicious side dishes, spreads and desserts. Cranberries are very tart and some processed cranberry products contain large amounts of sugar to combat the tartness. Like all foods, it's best to use fresh cranberries in order to get the maximum nutrients from them and to avoid taking in unnecessary amounts of sugar or fat. A quick recipe search will give you hundreds of options to use your cranberries with.

Try these from right here on SELF.com:


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