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Klukva (pron. kloo-kwuh) is Russian for cranberry, the crimson berry which for centuries has been used in beverages, sauces, glazes, and a host of baking recipes. However, this versatile fruit – grown primarily in northern wetlands throughout Europe and North America – is also a key ingredient in traditional and modern medicine.

  Why Cranberry?


The health benefits of cranberries cannot be overstated. Not only are they a medically-documented remedy for bladder and urinary tract infections, but they are also a leading source of antioxidants – naturally-occurring nutrients that may protect against cancer, heart disease, diabetes and other chronic illnesses.


  Pure Science


Cranberries contain a group of plant chemicals (called flavonoids) that may play a role in preventing certain types of cancers, as well as heart disease. For example:

 

Researchers at the University of Western Ontario have linked cranberry consumption with the delay of tumour development and a reduction in the spread of tumours to the lungs and lymph system. [1]

A rich source of the flavonoid quercetin, cranberry consumption has also been shown to combat the development of breast and colon cancers. [2]

Flavonoids, including the antioxidant known as anthocyanin, have also been linked with a reduction in the incidence of cardiovascular (i.e., heart) disease, by preventing the oxidation of cholesterol in the blood. [3]

 

Cranberries also are a unique source of compounds known as condensed tannins (or proanthocyanidins) which have been associated with the fight against bacteria-causing infections:

 

A 1998 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine identified condensed tannins as the compounds responsible for preventing and treating urinary tract infections. They work by preventing harmful bacteria from binding to the wall of the urinary tract. [4]

Laboratory research has also revealed that these same compounds prevent the bacteria H. pylori – responsible for 80% of gastric ulcers – from “sticking” to the stomach lining. [5]

 

These are just some of the health benefits associated with cranberries (and in many cases with the other berries in our Klukva Pure juices). Of course, because no sugar has been added, all our juices are diabetic friendly and well-suited to calorie-reduced diets.

 

Nutritional information for our Klukva Pure
Cranberry & Double Berry ready-to-mix juices

 

  Cranberry Cranberry Raspberry Cranberry Blueberry Cranberry Blackberry Cranberry Strawberry
Energy 57 Cal 54.5 Cal 55 Cal 59.3 Cal 59.8 Cal
Protein 0 g 0.28 g 0.14 g 0.39 g 0.14 g
Fat 0.1 g 0.23 g 0.28 g 0.21 g 0.11 g
Carbohydrate 14.4 g 13.3 g 13.7 g 14.8 g 12.7 g
Sugars* 11 g 9.7 g 12 g 9.7 g 9.7 g
Sodium 2 mg 1.3 mg 1.7 mg 1.7 mg 2 mg
Potassium 18 mg 59.2 mg 29.9 mg 58.3 mg 50.9 mg
Vitamin A 2.8% 3.6% 2.9 % 4.3% 2.0%
Vitamin C 7.6% 8.5% 8.3% 7.7% 14.3%
Calcium 5.3% 8.1% 4.6% 10.6% 6.2%
Iron 0.2% 0.24% 0.5% 0.24% 0.2%
* Naturally occurring sugars

 

The medical virtues of cranberries are widely published. Here are a few sites you may wish to visit.

 

The Cranberry Institute

Shine Way International

National Alliance to Nurture the Aged and the Youth

The National Spinal Cord Injury Association

Sangster's Health Centres

Nutraceuticals Now

AR-News:  12/2003 Dr. Greger's Newsletter

Bandolier - Evidence Based Thinking About Health Care

 

References
[1] Journal of Nutrition 133 (2003): 3846S.
[2] Natural Health, May-June, 2002
[3] Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 1992. Vol. 35: Issue 20, pp. 3595-3606.
[4] New England Journal of Medicine, 1998. 339: 1085-1086.
[5] New England Journal of Medicine, 1991. 324: 1599.

 

A comprehensive bibliography of research on the health benefits of cranberries can be found at The Cranberry Institute.

 

 

 


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