The Treat That Keeps Your Ticker Talking

Which turkey topper, muffin mix-in, and fruit-punch staple can help keep your ticker in top shape?

It's the ruby-red cranberry. The fruit is chock-full of flavonoids that give heart-disease risk factors a one-two punch, attacking inflammation and cholesterol. Here's what else cranberries can do for you.

Flavonoids Fever
Cranberries may help raise HDL (good) cholesterol and thwart plaque-building oxidation of the bad kind (LDL). Not only that, but some studies also link the almighty cranberry's killer flavonoid combination with cancer-fighting properties. And cranberry flavonols -- particularly quercetin -- appear to help quell inflammation.

For All Seasons
So don't forget this tangy tongue teaser after the holidays. Load up on dried cranberries to mix into your granola, top fish with fresh cranberry relish, and bake fresh cranberries into cookies, muffins, and breads. You can also treat yourself to a glass or two of cranberry juice (choose diet varieties for less sugar and fewer calories). The bonus with the juice: It may help ward off urinary tract infections.

Evidences of the cardioprotective potential of fruits: the case of cranberries. Ruel, G., Couillard, C., Molecular Nutrition & Food Research 2007 Jun;51(6):692-701.