Cranberry tea is a fragrant and healthy drink with many medicinal properties. It is recommended to drink it for children and adults to strengthen immunity and include it in complex therapy for various diseases. Even with long-term storage, cranberries retain useful substances, so they can be eaten year-round.
Composition
The composition of the marsh berry includes vitamins and minerals, sugars, acids and pectin. The inclusion of berries in the form of cranberry tea makes up for the deficiency of iron, phosphorus, potassium, zinc and iodine. Vitamin C predominates in cranberries, followed by B, PP and E.
Among the acids, citric acid takes precedence, then in decreasing order: quinic, malic, ursolic and oxalic acids. Among other things, the berry contains bioflavonoids and betaine, as well as manganese, silver, titanium, cobalt, chromium.
Beneficial features
Undoubtedly, such a rich composition carries a lot of useful properties for the body. Eating berry in its pure form or preparing butter products, jam and jams, fruit drinks and tea on its basis gives the dish or drink useful properties.
So, the benefits of cranberry tea are in such features:
- Cranberries are a powerful antioxidant. It normalizes metabolic processes in the body, has an antimicrobial effect, prevents the development of caries, and promotes digestion.
- The presence of a high level of glucose saturates brain cells and is a source of energy for the nervous system and muscle tissue.
- The flavonoids contained strengthen the immune system, control possible inflammatory processes, increase vascular elasticity.
- With regular use of cranberries, in any form, the vessels become less prone to the appearance of cholesterol plaques, the risk of thrombosis is significantly reduced. The berry is a good prophylactic against stroke.
- Cranberry tea or fruit drink is recommended for the treatment of cystitis. It is also effective for intestinal disorders, kidney disease, high blood pressure and varicose veins.
- During infectious and colds, as well as for their prevention, it is recommended to drink tea and cranberry-based infusions. For diseases of the oral cavity, a berry is chewed or rinsed with a decoction of the mouth. Cranberries proanthocyanidins fight bacteria and pathogenic microflora in the body and contribute to their elimination.
- Cranberries increase tone and performance.
- Drinks based on miracle berries quickly quench your thirst and refresh.
- Cranberries are often part of the complex treatment of atherosclerosis and hypertension. It is included in the diet in the treatment of obesity.
- Vitami R, promotes deep and good sleep, eliminates fatigue, helps with insomnia, relieves headaches.
According to studies, cranberry tea enhances the action of antibiotics, which are used to treat pyelonephritis. This is carried out due to guipure acid, which is found in abundance in the berry. Tea with cranberries is recommended to use along with antibiotics in the presence of gynecological diseases.
Contraindications
Despite the great benefits and healing effects of the berry, cranberry tea should not be abused so as not to get the opposite effect.
Among the contraindications are:
- It is not advisable to drink cranberry tea for people who have serious pathological processes in the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, it is strictly contraindicated in cases of duodenal ulcer and acute gastritis with high acidity. Due to the high content of acids, it can aggravate the course of these diseases and, as a result, the patient's well-being.
- With regular and prolonged use, cranberries can destroy tooth enamel, this can be avoided if you rinse your mouth with water after each berry intake.
- With caution, the berry is included in the diet of hypotensives, since it can cause a sharp decrease in blood pressure.
- Children under 3 years of age should strictly limit cranberry intake to avoid unwanted reactions.
During pregnancy
Since during the period of bearing a child even the most usual foods in the diet may be undesirable, women are faced with the question of what can be eaten and what cannot. In the absence of such reactions as vomiting, nausea, and intolerance, cranberry tea can and should be included in the menu. Its benefits for a pregnant woman are as follows:
- a decrease in the manifestation of toxicosis;
- intestinal motility improves;
- a diuretic and antimicrobial effect serves as a prophylaxis of cystitis and reduces swelling of the limbs;
- strengthens the walls of blood vessels and dilutes blood;
- serves as a prevention of varicose veins, especially in the third trimester;
- Vitamin B 9 (folic acid), prevents pathologies in the development of the fetus.
Cranberry drinks help maintain the immunity of the expectant mother. If a woman suffers from high blood pressure or a constant bowel disorder, a cranberry tea recipe can be a panacea. You will find a detailed description of the preparation later in the article.
Harvesting and storage of berries
The berry harvested before the first frost has the greatest benefit. It retains all biologically active elements necessary for the body. You can collect cranberries in the winter, while its value is reduced, and taste, on the contrary, is getting better.
To make cranberry tea at any time of the year, it is necessary to ensure the correct storage conditions. Berries are stored in many ways:
- The most affordable is freezing. The fruits are collected, debris removed and sorted. Then it is slightly dried, sorted into plastic bags and frozen. In this form, they last up to 3 years.
- Some housewives prefer to harvest sweet berries. Pure cranberries are laid out in jars and covered with sugar or filled with honey. Then cork with lids and store in a cool dark place.
- Another storage method is to fill the fruits with boiled water, close the container tightly and put in the refrigerator. As a result, they remain fragrant and retain beneficial substances.
- The most laborious harvesting process is cranberry drying.
Classic and mint tea
To make cranberry tea, you need to take:
- a tablespoon of any berries;
- a glass of boiling water.
Pour the berries with hot water. Tea is insisted for 5-10 minutes and honey or sugar is added to taste. Such a drink can be drunk daily, it gives the body a tone and protects against stress.
Cranberry tea with mint quenches thirst in the summer and warms in the cold season. You can drink it for children and pregnant women. The drink quickly and effectively eliminates cramps, colic and signs of toxicosis.
Ingredients:
- boiling water 1 l;
- honey 3 tbsp. l .;
- green or black tea 6 tsp;
- 4 tbsp. l mint leaves.
It is necessary to pour boiling water on tea and mint, insist 10 minutes. Add the crushed berries. When the drink has cooled slightly, add honey. Remember that honey should not be dissolved in boiling water, as it loses its beneficial properties. You can drink chilled or hot.
Tea with orange
To make fragrant cranberry tea with orange, you will need:
- liter of boiling water;
- 1 tbsp. a spoon of green tea;
- 2 tbsp. tablespoons of honey;
- 0.5 cup cranberries;
- some cinnamon, a slice of ginger, an orange.
Pound the cranberries, cut the orange into slices, ginger and grate. All ingredients are mixed, cinnamon and tea leaves are added. Then pour boiling water and cook over medium heat for no more than two minutes. Tea is insisted for 15 minutes.
When preparing a drink with the components, you can experiment based on personal taste preferences, add or replace ingredients, with the exception of cranberries.
Cranberry tea with honey or sea buckthorn
A combination of cranberries and honey has a healing property. Tea with these components makes up for the deficiency of vitamins and minerals, strengthens the immune system and fills one with strength.
We prepare the components:
- 1 cup boiling water;
- 2 tbsp. l cranberries;
- honey to taste.
How to make cranberry tea at home:
- Fruits are added to boiling water and insisted for 10-15 minutes.
- Then add honey to taste and drink until the drink has cooled.
To improve health, protect against stress and increase stamina, adults and children are advised to drink tea with cranberries and sea buckthorn:
- According to 2 tbsp. tablespoons of berries mixed with 2 tablespoons of green tea.
- Pour boiling water over a liter.
- Insist 10-15 minutes and before use add sugar or honey to taste.
- You can drink this tea warm or chilled.
The preparation and regular use of tea with berries and fruits makes up for the lack of vitamins in the body and replaces harmful carbonated and synthetic drinks.