Cranberries during pregnancy: the benefits and harm, therapeutic properties

Cranberry is a wild-growing berry, which grows on moist soils mainly in lowlands, marshland, near lakes. The plant chooses coniferous forests and areas where moss grows, as often the cranberries spread along the moss cover. In the people, this berry is very much loved and revered, calling it "the queen of the marshes", "forest healer", "northern grapes", "spring creek".

The use of cranberries by man has been going on for more than one century, and the mention of its wonderful properties has been encountered since the times of ancient Rome. In Russia, during the times of military campaigns, they used the juice of this berry to heal wounds, recuperate quickly, and also to combat scurvy.

Cranberries are most common in the northern latitudes of our continent, from Siberia and the Far East down to the Arctic, but its most favorite habitat is tundra. These lands are famous for their number of annually growing northern berries. But here its dimensions, compared with cranberries, growing in Canada or North America, are much inferior - there berries reach up to 20 millimeters in diameter, and our cranberries are much smaller.

Externally, the plant looks like a small bush with a size of up to 30 centimeters in height, with a branchy structure, which creeps along the soil cover. The branches are densely covered with dense oval-shaped leaves that have a dark green color on the outside and a grayish-green shade on the inside of the leaf. The color of the leaves of the plant does not change throughout the year. Cranberry blooms begin in May, and berries of a dark red color ripen in a round or slightly oblong form by autumn.

This is an amazing berry, because you can harvest it three times a year! The first time the berry is harvested in September. During this period, it is strong, not full of ripeness, but it will quite reach the necessary condition at home. The second time the harvesting takes place in November, during the first frost - then the berry takes the most useful components and has a sour taste. The third wave of cranberry harvesting occurs in the spring, at a time where snow has not completely melted on the thawed patches. Overwintering under the snow cranberries is considered the highest degree of maturity.

At that time it is rich in vitamins, has a tart sweet taste. For a long time to keep such a berry does not work - it becomes soft and watery, so its use should be started as soon as possible.

In order to preserve the cranberries for a long time, there are various ways to cook it. Berries can make a great jam, jam, berry puree with sugar or just freeze in the freezer of the refrigerator. In addition, the old cranberries were stored in wooden barrels, filling with water and replacing it twice a month.

Miracle cranberries contain a lot of valuable vitamins and minerals. Its rare property has been noted to enhance the effect on the body of antimicrobial drugs when used together with cranberry products. These properties are due to the presence of natural flavonoids and phytoncides in the plant. In addition, berries contain fruit acids, vitamins C, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6 and trace elements - phosphorus, iron, calcium. Cranberries are rich in fruit sugars, pectin, and lizetin.

The benefits of cranberry for human health has repeatedly been proven for more than one century. The medicinal properties of this plant have adopted modern official medicine. Products made from cranberries are used:

• to reduce the likelihood of development of pathologies of the cardiac and vascular systems;
• to prevent the accumulation of salts in the joints, kidneys;
• as an antipyretic, thinning sputum and facilitating the general condition of colds; a remedy;
• to restore the natural balance of intestinal microflora;
• as prevention and treatment of fungal skin diseases;
• to improve the tone, elasticity and strength of the smooth muscles of blood vessels;
• to remove toxins and metabolic products from the body in case of poisoning;

• as the prevention of constipation due to moderate laxative effects;
• for the treatment and prevention of edema, since cranberry has a good diuretic activity;
• as early clearing and regenerating agent;
• improving skin tone and elasticity;
• to lower blood pressure in hypertension;
• reduces the likelihood of developing gastritis;
• to enhance immunity and overall body tone.

Of particular importance is the cranberry in its use during pregnancy. It often happens that pregnant women are prone to inflammatory diseases of the kidneys and urinary tract. To cope with this problem, they often resort to the use of cranberries, prepared as a concentrated decoction. Such a drink is capable of washing the stomach, kidneys, urinary tract, bladder walls, removing accumulations of bacteria from them.

A cranberry drink is excellent in treating edema caused by hypertension and venous insufficiency. The biological components of the berries strengthen the vascular wall, improve blood circulation in the uterus and placenta, and also protect women from oral mucosa diseases - stomatitis.

In the postpartum period, cranberry, possessing bactericidal and wound-healing properties, accelerates the healing of postoperative sutures, improves the resorption of hematomas, helps a woman to quickly recover strength and vitamin-mineral balance of the body.

Given that the berries contain a sufficiently powerful vitamin and mineral composition, as well as active biocomponents, cranberry is quite a strong and effective tool that can be called a medicine. And any medicine, including cranberries, both have indications and have some contraindications to use.

Contraindications to the use of cranberries during pregnancy are as follows:

• Due to the fact that cranberries contain a large amount of acids, its use may increase the concentration of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. For gastritis with increased secretory gastric function, as well as for heartburn, cranberry is undesirable.
• In case of peptic ulcer and erosions of the stomach or intestines, the use of cranberries can provoke an exacerbation of the disease.
• Some have individual intolerance to the body of a product. If there are indigestion, flatulence, upset stool or nausea when eating cranberries, the use of berries is best given up.
• An allergic reaction may develop if a large amount of cranberries are injected into the body. To avoid this, take cranberries should start with small doses, carefully watching the reaction of the body and their well-being. If itching, swelling and other symptoms of the development of allergies from the drugs from the cranberries should be abandoned. As a rule, it does not contain allergens, but exceptions are even from the rules.

A woman can start using cranberries already in early pregnancy. In the first trimester, cranberry drink does not take more than one liter per day. The reason for this limitation is that berries contain a loading dose of vitamin C, which can trigger an increase in muscle tone of the uterusthat ultimately lead to a spontaneous miscarriage.

In addition, cranberry juice is best consumed at home, as the drink has a pronounced diuretic effect.Therefore, when traveling, it is best for pregnant women to abstain from using the drink.

In later pregnancy, the amount of cranberry drink can be increased to two liters per day. Especially cranberry juice will be useful in the treatment of inflammatory processes in the kidneys or bladder - when cranberries are consumed, the swelling will decrease and the level of protein in the urine will decrease. In addition, the drink from this medicinal berry will improve metabolic processes and help neutralize toxins in the body of a pregnant woman, which tend to accumulate due to increased stress on the organs and systems in the process of gestation.

To prepare a tasty, healthy and vitamin-rich drink, squeeze juice from the berries. After that, the remaining oil cake is added to boiling water, where the sugar is already dissolved, and boil for no more than 3-5 minutes. Next, the drink should be removed from the heat, but the lid is not opened and give him time to insist. When the juice has almost cooled down, it is filtered and juice is added, which has been squeezed out in advance. Cranberry mors prepared in this way retains all the valuable properties and is rich in vitamins.

In addition, pregnant women can use cranberries in the form of berry mashed potatoes with sugar or jam. But here it is important to remember about calories. Cranberry itself is a low-calorie product, but when sugar is added to it, the caloric content of the product increases markedly. Pregnant women should remember this and monitor the weight gain, so as not to exceed the rate of increase, corresponding to the period of development of the fetus in weeks.

Sometimes it happens that during pregnancy a woman can get a viral or catarrhal disease. The use of traditional drug therapy in this case is contraindicated because of the undesirable effects of drugs on the fetus. In this case, the cranberry will come to her aid. The use of a drink from these berries will help reduce the temperature and improve the overall condition. Against the background of blood thinning, nasal breathing improves, sputum leaves the lungs more easily, and a sore throat disappears.

During cystitis, the cranberry used disinfects the bladder cavity and increases the flow of urine. As a result of cranberry use, the number of urge to urinate is reduced, the sting and burning sensation in the urethra area passes, and urine becomes transparent.

When pyelonephritis concentrated cranberry drink helps to cleanse the kidneys and urinary tract from mucus, bacteria. The number of leukocytes, protein in the urine decreases. Pass nagging pain. Enhanced diuresis removes excess fluid and improves the general well-being of a pregnant woman.

Most women have long noticed the fact that, due to the use of beverages and cranberry decoctions, their milk production significantly increases. And although there is no scientific basis for this fact, a sufficiently large number of doctors advise the nursing mother to use this forest berry. Breastfed babies (HBV) get a good weight gain, and their mothers have enough milk during lactation.

Often women have a question about whether it is possible to give a cranberry to a newborn baby, because the baby also needs vitamins. The opinion of pediatricians on this issue is unambiguous and it boils down to the fact that it is not recommended to give cranberries to a child aged 1 or 2 months.You can use it no earlier than 3 months old child and take no more than 2-3 berries per day for feeding.

The recipe for decoctions, compotes or fruit drinks from cranberries is simple and there are many different options. Quite often cranberries are combined with other berries. You can prepare healing drinks using fresh, dried or frozen berry. In order to soften the sour taste, add honey or sugar to the drinks.

Here is one of the options for making a drink using cranberries, which can be drunk to a woman while breastfeeding:

• fresh berries - 500 grams;
• water - 2000 milliliters;
• honey or sugar is optionally added in the required amount.

Method of preparation: cranberries are placed on a gauze napkin and make a knot, which is dipped in boiling water. Boil the berry in the bundle should be no more than two minutes, and then the bundle must be removed from the container and squeezed. Further, these berries are rubbed through a fine sieve. Berry puree spread in a saucepan, where the drink is brewed. The resulting composition is boiled for another two minutes and sugar is added to it.

In addition, the berries can be prepared and otherwise - for this purpose, they are ground by a blender to a puree, and then sugar is added. You can add cherries, raspberries or currants to the cranberry puree, chop them up just like the cranberries, and mix all the ingredients together. Berry mix is ​​stored in a cool place and consumed with tea a few spoons daily.

Cranberry-lingonberry composition is considered very beneficial for the kidneys. You can make it in the form of juice, fruit drink, jelly or compote of fresh or frozen berries. Dried cranberries are not taken for this purpose, as they contain less valuable components. Recipes:

• Cranberry decoction - 20 grams of a mixture of cranberry berries and leaves pour half a liter of boiling water and boil over low heat. Boil the composition for at least 10 minutes, then let it brew to cool completely under the lid and strain. Take half a cup 4 times a day for diarrhea.
• Cranberry Tea - 10 grams of berries put in a mug and mash with a spoon, mixing with sugar, and then brew with hot infused green or black tea. Drink warm or chilled. Tea remarkably invigorates, tones, gives strength.
• The juice - squeeze out freshly picked berries, sugar syrup can be added to improve the taste. For use, the juice is diluted with boiling water in a ratio of 1: 2. It is taken as an antipyretic agent or as a vitamin drink for seasonal prevention of colds.

Cranberries - fresh, frozen or dried jam is prepared. The available cooking option is as follows: for 1 part of cranberries, take 1 part of sugar. Cranberries are crushed to a state of mashed potatoes, add sugar and infuse for an hour. Then put the container with the jam on a slow fire and boil for 10 minutes. Next, remove from heat and leave to insist until cool. Then boil again for 10 minutes and pour it hot over the banks. Such jam is good with tea to improve immunity.

Before you start taking cranberries, a pregnant woman needs to consult a doctor who is watching her pregnancy. It is best to start to take the berry from the mors of weak concentration, carefully listening to your sensations and observing your well-being. If no adverse events were noted, the dose and frequency of use can be increased.