Mention cranberries and watch lips pucker. But these tart little gems are a top food source for providing nutrients and antioxidants. Now found in several delicious varieties, cranberries pack a healthy punch.

A cousin of the blueberry, cultivated cranberries are grown on low trailing vines in large sandy bogs mostly in the northern United States and southern Canada(www.whfoods.org).

American Indians ate cooked cranberries sweetened with honey or maple syrup. They also used them as a red dye and as a poultice for wounds to help stop bleeding and as an antibiotic. By the 18th century, colonists were exporting cranberries to England.

For hundreds of years, people have used cranberries and its juice to treat urinary tract infections (UTI) and other illness. More recent studies have suggested that cranberries may be a strong contender in the fight against heart disease and cancer.

According to a study published in the November 19, 2001 edition of the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, cranberries have been shown to contain more antioxidant phenols than 19 commonly eaten fruits

“These antioxidants may play a role in helping to prevent heart disease and certain cancers” according to the study’s author Dr. Joe Vinson at the University of Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Filled with flavonoids, studies suggest that cranberries can help fight atherosclerosis, more commonly known as “hardening of the arteries”. Flavonoids help reduce the amount of bad cholesterol that can clog artery walls while increasing levels of good cholesterol.

Preliminary research at the University of Western Ontario also suggests that cranberries are a factor in inhibiting the development of breast cancer cells in animals.

And cranberries offer even more to smile about: they’re found to reduce the production of cavity and plaque producing bacteria in the mouth and may also reduce the bacteria associated with peptic stomach ulcers.

Cranberries may also help prevent kidney stones and bladder infections. Researchers have discovered this amazing berry may be an effective treatment for the herpes virus, as well.

A versatile, inexpensive fruit, today cranberries are popping up in all sorts of delicious ways. Fresh cranberries, which contain the highest levels of beneficial nutrients, are at their peak October through December. To enjoy their health benefits long after the holiday season, look for them in liquid, dried, frozen and canned varieties.

Drinking cranberry juice instead of soda is a great way to incorporate this beneficial fruit in your diet. Try the new lower sugar varieties for an even healthier choice. Toss fresh cranberries in your favorite muffin mix, or add them to marinades and dressings. Not just for the holidays, canned varieties go great with turkey, pork or game dishes all year long. Much like raisins, dried cranberries (with no sugar added) are a natural and nutritious snack or lunch box treat. Dried cranberries are also great on hot and cold cereal.

For sauce, combine sugar and cranberries and cook. In you’re avoiding sugar, use a temperature resistant sugar substitute like Splenda in your fresh cranberry recipe.

Whatever variety you choose, cranberries are more than just a pretty little fruit.

With all its heath benefits, this colorful festive berry might just be the hardest working berry out there.

For more information on this fabulous fruit, visit cranberryinstitute.org.