For those looking to avoid cancer, strokes or heart disease, the solution may be as close as a Thanksgiving feast.
Researchers at the University of Scranton, in Scranton, Penn., found that cranberries contain more phenols, a form of disease fighting antioxidant, than any other common fruit per gram.
Previously those scouring for a diet high in antioxidants ate broccoli, but the research, lead by Joe Vinson of the University of Scranton, found cranberries contain as much as five times the antioxidants.
Vinson and his associates are now conducting animal studies to determine if the high antioxidant levels of cranberries protect against the development of atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, a condition that can lead to heart attacks and strokes. The researchers eventually plan to conduct human studies to determine if supplements of the fruit would offer heart protection, he says.
A low-calorie fruit that is rich in vitamin C, the cranberry is popularly consumed in this country as a processed beverage, a gel or fresh off the tree.
