Cranberry juice is rich in plant flavonoids that have been shown by previous studies to reduce cardiovascular disease. Janet Novotny from the US Department of Agriculture (Maryland, USA), and colleagues enrolled 56 healthy adults, average age 51 years, without high blood pressure, to consume either 8 ounces of a low-calorie cranberry juice, or a placebo beverage, daily with meals for eight weeks. At the study’s conclusion, average systolic and diastolic blood pressures fell by 3 mmHg in the subjects who consumed the juice (no change in blood pressure was observed in the placebo group). The researchers suggest that patients who are trying to lower their blood pressures may benefit by consuming a low-calorie cranberry juice beverage.
