Cranberries have long been considered a superfood for their cancer-lowering antioxidant content.. Now scientists from the University of Massachusetts Amherst claim that cranberries are also useful because they improve the condition of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT)..

A study they did showed that beneficial microbes in the gut grow when they get carbohydrates from cranberries.. And maintaining a healthy intestinal microflora allows you to maintain both physical and mental health, according to Pannochka, an online publication for girls and women from 14 to 35 years old.. net Gut microflora affects aging, risk of arthritis, depression, cancer and heart disease. Scientists led by Prof. David Sela say cranberries in supplement form work like a great prebiotic - they promote the growth of beneficial flora.. This berry (in the walls of its cells) contains sugars - xyloglucans, which are extremely beneficial for microflora.

Most of the cell walls of cranberries are indigestible, including xyloglucans. Therefore, unfortunately, simply by eating cranberries, you cannot achieve positive changes.. Scientists had to isolate and purify sugars from cranberries in the laboratory, giving them to the inhabitants of the intestines - bifidobacteria. Some species of these bacteria feed on xyloglucans with great pleasure and, as a result, grow in number..

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