I like Cranberry Juice. I actually prefer Cranberry-Apple or Cranberry-Peach. I, too, have heard of all the health benefits.... I drink it when I can (but I have to watch the sugar)
It can be tasty, but I'm pretty sure it's mostly empty calories, UTI benefits aside. Which health benefits in particular are you after? Will fresh fruit do the trick instead?
I love cranberry juice and drink it every single morning. They have something new out called diet cranberry juice by oceanspray I believe, and it's five calories for 8 oz and it tastes great.
Cranberry juice! Read the ingredients. Cranberry juice contains cranberries and water. The cranberry juice drinks and cranberry juice cocktails contain other juices and water, and often sweeteners, so the cranberry part is only a small percentage of what is in the mix. The real cranberry juice is very concentrated and I will mix it with about 6 parts water to one part juice. It isn't sweet. Not that there is anything wrong with the blends, but they really are not "cranberry juice" technically.
Last edited by Spinymouse; 10-23-2007 at 11:35 PM.
I drink an 8 oz glass a day. I swear by the stuff for kidneys and bladders. Haven't had an infection since I started drinking the stuff years and years ago. Even the stuff that I drink, which says on the label 100% cranberry isn't just cranberry lol. It is only 40% cranberry and then grape and apple mixed with it. No added sugar so no empty calories.
Last edited by Shy Moment; 10-24-2007 at 02:07 AM.
I have heard that cranberries are good for your urinary tract and kidneys because something in them discourages growth of bad bacteria that can give you UTIs, etc.; they also have a lot of antioxidants, which are good for your whole body. Ocean Spray makes a light cranberry juice drink that has 40 cals/8 oz. serving. I believe it still has the stuff in the cranberries that is good for your kidneys/urinary tract health, they just swap out a lot of the added sugar for splenda.
Knudsens makes an unsweetened (100% juice) version that I mix with water (I often add some artificial sweetener to that). I've also enjoyed the 5 calorie stuff, but it's almost too sweet with the artificial stuff in it. Also, Trader Joe's sells cranberry capsules that are supposed to be helpful for those with kidney issues--you can get your benefits without having to drink the calories.
Derrrr Megan... the other part of what I meant to post this morning was that there are a lot of cranberry supplements that are supposed to give you the benefits without the calories, as Allison says. In fact I take one! I swear my brain was just not there this morning (whereabouts still questionable this afternoon, lol). I take a capsule that is CVS brand called CranMax or something like that. You only have to take 1 pill a day, as opposed to some of the other cranberry supplements I looked at where you were supposed to take several a day.
I would love to be drinking/mixing the pure cranberry...but I can't afford it!! I'll have to look into the pills....how much are they, do you remember?
Cranberry Juice
