Should You Eat Cranberries for Flu Prevention?

How This Proanthocyanidin Rich Fruit Could Prevent Viral Infections

Nov 1, 2009

Discover how eating cranberries could fight off cold and flu viruses.

At no time is it more important to eat right than during flu season. Eating a nutritious diet helps to boost the immune system’s ability to fight off colds, flu, and other flu-like viruses. Some foods in particular have special flu- and virus-fighting powers. One of these foods for flu prevention that’s popular around the holiday season is the cranberry. Could eating cranberries be a natural way to ward off flu-like illnesses?

Eating Cranberries for Flu Prevention

How can eating cranberries help to fight off viruses? Cranberry juice has long been used by young women for the prevention of urinary tract infections. Most research has shown cranberry juice reduces the incidence of urinary tract infections, although a few recent studies have called this finding into question. Cranberries and cranberry juice are a good source of proanthocyanidins, astringent substances that binds to infection-causing bacteria and prevent them from sticking to the wall of the bladder. When the bacteria can’t adhere, they can’t do damage and are simply flushed out of the body in the urine. Eating cranberries or drinking cranberry juice may work in a similar manner for flu prevention. The proanthocyanidins bind to viruses so they can’t attach to cells and cause infection.

How Much Cranberry Is Needed for Flu Prevention?

Just as eating cranberries or drinking cranberry juice probably won’t cure a urinary tract infection once it’s started, eating cranberries is primarily good for virus and flu prevention and probably won't have an effect once the virus is established. It’s also unclear how many cranberries or how much juice is needed to prevent infection, so eating cranberries for flu prevention isn’t an exact science.

The Cranberry Has Anti-Inflammatory Properties Too

Although cranberries are unlikely to replace antibiotics or anti-viral medications, eating cranberries could be a safe and natural strategy for flu prevention when used as part of an overall healthy diet. Cranberries are a good source of antioxidants and have anti-inflammatory properties. Because of their powerful anti-inflammatory properties, they help to fight periodontitis, a severe form of gum disease that can cause destruction of the bone around the teeth and tooth loss. This is just one more example of cranberry’s disease fighting power.

Other Health Benefits of Eating Cranberries

Eating cranberries may be associated with a variety of other health benefits. It helps to reduce the risk of stomach ulcers by fighting off the bacteria H. pylori that’s associated with stomach ulcers as well as other digestive problems. A diet high in cranberries may also lower the risk of heart disease and some types of cancer.

Eating Cranberries for Flu Prevention: The Bottom Line?

Enjoy eating cranberries for their many health benefits and have an extra serving during the flu season.

"PACs in Cranberries may help fight the flu virus." Nutraceuticals International. 2006.

The copyright of the article Should You Eat Cranberries for Flu Prevention? in Natural Medicine is owned by Kristie Leong. Permission to republish Should You Eat Cranberries for Flu Prevention? in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.