What is better for cystitis: cranberries or lingonberries? What is healthier than lingonberries or cranberries? What is more expensive lingonberries or cranberries.

As with many diseases, with cystitis it is important to start treatment as soon as possible and not wait until the disease becomes chronic. It often happens that the symptoms appear very brightly, and there are no medicines at hand. It is then that ordinary berries that everyone loves, but do not know about many of their beneficial properties, can come in handy.

One of these "doctors" are cranberries and lingonberries - berries, in which there is a huge amount of substances necessary for our body. In addition, they are not only full of vitamins, but also help to cope with cystitis in a matter of days.

Useful properties of berries

Cowberry often used not only in cooking, but also for medical purposes as a medicine. It helps to strengthen the immune system and the body's ability to resist viruses. Cowberries also improve vision, help to remove the inflammatory process in the body, and even effectively normalize the temperature.

For medicinal purposes, not only lingonberries are usually used, but also its leaves, which are harvested mainly in autumn or early spring, when they contain the most useful substances. The leaves of the plant can be collected and dried, but not in the sun, and then the most useful decoctions and infusions can be prepared from them.

Lingonberries are an excellent diuretic and they work equally well, both fresh and dried. Especially useful are cranberry and cranberry fruit drinks. Lingonberries are very rich in such useful substances:

• mineral salts;
• ascorbic acid;
• carotene;
• potassium, phosphorus, manganese;
• fruit acids.

Due to the high iron content in lingonberries, this plant helps to normalize hemoglobin levels in a short time. Cowberry helps to strengthen the walls of blood vessels, prevents the formation of calcium phosphate stones. But, at the same time, this plant will not help in the fight against oxalates.

If you use cranberries along with antibacterial agents, it has been proven that the berries increase the effect of the drugs several times.

One of the most pleasant and useful remedies to cure cystitis is cranberries. It helps not only to quickly remove the unpleasant symptoms of the disease, but is also often used to prevent diseases of the genitourinary system.

The main advantage of cranberries in the treatment of cystitis is its special composition. Cranberries are rich in proanthocyanidins - special substances that even gastric juice cannot destroy. When they penetrate the bladder, pathogenic bacteria and microorganisms cannot attach to their walls. Cranberries are also very rich in vitamins C, B and PP. These berries contain calcium, iodine, iron, manganese, titanium.

Contraindications

Despite the fact that lingonberries and cranberries are not medicines, even such seemingly harmless plants may have certain contraindications.

• Gastritis, in which the patient is diagnosed with increased acidity.
• Gastric ulcer.
• Allergic reactions.
• Children under 12 years old.
• Hypotension.
• Renal failure.

If the patient has kidney problems, then lingonberry leaves should not be taken. This is explained by the fact that the tannins contained in them can adversely affect the patient's condition and exacerbate the problem.

Attention! If you take a decoction or infusion of lingonberries immediately after eating, you can cause diarrhea.

Cranberries, with all their positive properties, also have certain contraindications:

• Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
• Cranberry drinks should not be taken on an empty stomach.
• Urolithiasis disease.
• Individual intolerance.
• Pregnancy and lactation.
• Children under 3 years old.
• Gout.

Cranberry drinks

Of course, with cystitis, the most correct and effective treatment will be with special drugs prescribed by a doctor. This will not aggravate the problem and quickly get rid of the unpleasant symptoms of the disease. At the same time, there are cases when it is impossible to urgently use medications or you want to speed up the treatment process, making it more effective.

With cystitis, you can take absolutely any form. It is best to eat fresh or frozen berries, you can also grind them with sugar to improve the taste.

A very effective remedy is cranberry juice.

If cystitis has begun, it is enough to drink half a liter of such a fruit drink a day so that the cramps in the lower abdomen and cramps go away, and urination improves.

Cooking cranberry juice is very easy. For this you need:

• 2 kg of cranberries;
• 2 liters of clean water;
• sugar or honey.
• Berries need to be ground in a blender or juicer and filtered through a sieve or gauze. The resulting puree is poured with cold water and mixed. If the juice is too sour, you can add honey or sugar.

Note! You need to prepare fruit drinks with cold water, but at the same time it is recommended to use it warm for cystitis.

Berries can also be consumed in the form of jam, and many patients with cystitis make tea from cranberries. To do this, pour two tablespoons of berries into a glass of boiling water and leave to brew for 15 minutes. You can add sugar. If you drink such tea or fruit drink daily, then soon you can forget about cystitis completely, since this is an excellent prophylactic.

The use of lingonberries

Cowberry juice is recommended to be prepared a little differently than cranberry juice. To do this, pour a glass of berries into 1-1.5 liters of cold water and let it brew for several hours. You can drink such a drink during the day, about a quarter cup at a time.

In addition to lingonberry juice, these berries can be taken in the form of juice. To do this, pass the lingonberries through a juicer or meat grinder and boil the resulting puree with a small amount of sugar for several minutes on fire. You can drink such juice in small portions, after filtering it.

In addition to berries, you can also use lingonberry leaves, which also help well with cystitis. The infusion is very easy to prepare: pour a tablespoon of dried leaves with 1 cup of boiling water, cover with a towel and leave for an hour. Then such an infusion can be drunk like regular tea, after filtering it.

It is prepared in the same way as from cranberries, and you need to take it 3 times a day before meals, about half a glass at a time.

What is best for cystitis?

Many patients who are faced with the problem of cystitis begin to look for alternative methods of treatment that will not only be safer than drug therapy, but also much more pleasant and useful. Cranberries or lingonberries for cystitis are used very often, like many other plants.

Each of these berries is literally a natural vitamin cocktail that helps to heal the entire body and is a powerful natural cure for cystitis. It is difficult to say which of these plants will be more effective medicine in the treatment of problems of the genitourinary system, because often they are even used together. At the same time, given the characteristics and properties of these berries, we can say that cranberries are more detrimental to tooth enamel than lingonberries; they should not be taken during pregnancy and with urolithiasis.

In turn, lingonberries provoke kidney problems and are not recommended for children under 12 years old.

Cranberries against lingonberries in the fight against cystitis

Treatment with lingonberries, like cranberries, is a simple and pleasant process that helps to improve the functioning of the whole organism. Eating these healthy berries regularly, you can forget about cystitis forever. Sometimes you do not need to wait for the manifestation of unpleasant symptoms of cystitis and pyelonephritis in order to replenish the reserves of essential vitamins in your body.

Remember that any treatment, even the simple use of your favorite berries every day, can provoke negative consequences. Therefore, it is important to do everything in moderation and coordinate such treatment with your doctor if you have doubts about its appropriateness.

It would be a mistake to unequivocally state that one of the two berries - cranberries or lingonberries - is definitely more useful than the other. At a minimum, the fruits of these plants have a very similar composition, differing only in the concentrations of individual substances. This means that their effect on the body when taken orally is very similar, if not identical.

In the photo below on the left -, on the right - cranberries:

However, in general, lingonberries are used in folk and official medicine more often and more extensively than cranberries, due to the fact that not only and not so much berries as leaves are used for medicinal purposes. It is lingonberry leaves that have diuretic and disinfectant properties, which are widely used in the complex therapy of cystitis, kidney and urinary tract diseases. Cranberry leaves are practically not used in medicine, which affects its popularity as a folk remedy.

Nevertheless, if a person wants to find out which of these plants is more useful, then in most cases he means precisely the fruits. Usually such a question arises in the markets or in the store, when the buyer chooses between two berries, or when planning their purchase and subsequent harvesting. Therefore, first of all, it is useful to compare the properties of the fruits of these plants, and then find out which one is better.

Differences in the composition and benefits of cranberries and lingonberries

Berries and cranberries, and lingonberries have a very similar composition, due to which they are quite similar to each other in taste and exhibit similar properties when consumed.

Cranberries are well recognizable due to the heterogeneity of color and size of the fruit.

In particular, both berries contain:

1. A large number of natural acids - malic, citric, quinic, ursolic, and others. These acids provide a pronounced very sour taste of fruits, as well as undesirable irritation of the digestive tract in patients with various diseases of the stomach and intestines, caused precisely by an increase in acidity. On the other hand, the same high concentration of acids can be useful, for example, in patients with low acidity of gastric juice. It is also actively used in cooking - due to the large amount of acids, the fruits do not deteriorate for a long time and can be stored almost all winter, they are easily fermented and can be used to ferment other products. In particular, cranberries can be stored in barrels filled with water from picking in September until spring;
2. The glycoside vaccinin is one of the most significant components for the medical use of berries. It has an irritating effect on the kidney parenchyma, stimulates urination and provides a pronounced diuretic effect. It also exhibits antiseptic properties and partially destroys the pathogenic microflora in the urinary tract, enhancing the action of antibiotics;
3. Pectins and natural bitters that have an astringent effect. There are more of them in the fruits of cranberries, due to which they have an appropriate bitter-sour taste. Cowberry is not so bitter and its taste can be described more like sweet and sour. These bitters have an astringent effect on the digestive tract and can influence the process of digestion itself, both fixing the intestines and normalizing the condition in various disorders;
4. Vitamins and biologically active substances - ascorbic acid, B vitamins, bioflavonoids. Moreover, there is more vitamin C in cranberries, due to which it is considered an effective alternative to oranges and lemons as an antiscorbutic agent. Also, due to the set of vitamins, the fruits of cranberries and lingonberries are widely used for the prevention and treatment of hypovitaminosis - in this case, their benefits are not inferior to those of various pharmaceutical multivitamin complexes;
5. Several types of antioxidants that provide protection against the action of free radicals;
6. A large number of mineral components, including iodine, magnesium, zinc, cobalt and others.

Due to these properties, berries and cranberries, and lingonberries are often eaten both simply as a delicacy and as a means for the prevention of hypovitaminosis. In folk medicine, they are equally prescribed in the complex therapy of cystitis and urinary tract diseases in addition to the main drug treatment.

Lingonberry jam - it tastes sweeter and more pleasant than cranberry jam.

Consequently, the fruits of both cranberries and lingonberries are approximately equally useful and are used for the same purposes. However, due to a more pleasant taste, lingonberries are used a little more often - both fresh and in the form of various juices and fruit drinks, they drink them with great pleasure and, if they have a choice, they prefer lingonberries, especially if they are supposed to be used for children. Therefore, they are usually sold at slightly higher prices.

On a note

It is impossible to compare lingonberries and cranberries with other berries, for example, blueberries, raspberries or sea buckthorn, since the properties of these fruits are already completely different, and they show therapeutic activity in diseases in which lingonberries and cranberries are not even used. Therefore, if we are talking about a particular case, you can choose what will be more valuable with him - lingonberries, for example, or raspberries. In general, it is incorrect to say that any of these berries is healthier and better.

Properties of lingonberry leaves

In lingonberries, in addition to berries, leaves are widely used in folk medicine. They contain up to 8% arbutin, known for its diuretic effect and antiseptic effect on the urinary tract - this is a large amount, due to which leaf-based preparations - decoctions, teas and infusions - have a much more pronounced effect than various fruit preparations. Such leaf-based preparations are used for cystitis, some kidney diseases, inflammation of the urinary tract, specifically to stimulate urination and enhance the effect of the use of antibiotics.

Dried, but not crushed lingonberry leaf.

Cranberry leaves also contain arbutin, but in much lower concentrations, and therefore they are practically not used in medicine.

In this use of lingonberry leaves lies its main advantage over cranberries: if the therapeutic effect of both berries is approximately the same, then the effect that lingonberry leaf preparations have is much more pronounced than the effect of eating berries. Therefore, for cystitis and diseases of the urinary tract, it is lingonberry leaves that are used as a means of traditional medicine. The fruits are used more for preventive purposes, and there is no significant difference in this respect between lingonberries and cranberries.

Which berry has a more pronounced diuretic effect?

In terms of their diuretic properties, lingonberries and cranberries are almost the same, regardless of which drug to use. The content of arbutin specifically in the fruits of these plants is approximately similar, and therefore they have the same diuretic effect.

There is an opinion that lingonberries "diuretic" is stronger than cranberries, since it is more often used for cystitis. Like, since it is prescribed more often, it means that its diuretic properties are more pronounced. This, however, is not true: lingonberries are more often prescribed for cystitis in the form of preparations of its leaves, which are indeed a more powerful diuretic than berries. The fruits themselves of these plants have practically no differences in the severity of the diuretic effect.

The traditional diuretic and antiseptic is lingonberry leaf.

At the same time, it is cranberries that are described in the WHO materials as a studied remedy. This can be explained by the fact that cranberries are grown much more actively than lingonberries for harvesting berries - its huge plantations in the USA and Europe are widely known.

Partly due to the diuretic effect, partly for the ability to fasten the intestines, cranberries and lingonberries are used for poisoning. Their benefits in these cases are the same, since the diuretic effect and the rate of excretion of toxins in the urine when they are used are identical.

The same is true in the treatment of edema: both berries are equally effective in stimulating the excretion of fluid from the body and reducing the severity of edema manifestations.

On a note

It is also popularly believed that, due to the diuretic effect, lingonberries and cranberries can treat gout. Say, when they are used with urine, salts are excreted, the deposition of which causes this disease and provokes its attacks. In reality, such an action has not been confirmed and proven, and therefore it is pointless to argue which of the berries has more pronounced healing properties.

What is more useful for colds and respiratory diseases?

Despite the widespread use of cranberries and lingonberries in folk medicine for the treatment of acute respiratory viral infections and acute rhinitis (colds), there is no convincing evidence that any use of the fruits of these plants, and the same lingonberry leaf, can provide a pronounced therapeutic effect. None of these remedies can affect the cause of a viral disease and is not able to destroy a bacterial infection that develops in the tissues of the mucous membrane of the nasal passages.

The berries themselves and drinks from them can be used as sources of vitamins for the patient and to quench thirst during fever. But in this respect, both the fruits of cranberries and lingonberries are almost equally effective and there are no differences between them, as between sources of vitamins.

The video below shows how to properly prepare such a vitamin drink:

Also, there is an opinion among the people about the benefits of lingonberry and cranberry drinks to reduce the temperature of the patient. In reality, this effect of these drugs is very weakly expressed, since they are not able to affect the causes of temperature, they do not have a pronounced anti-inflammatory effect, and they affect the temperature only due to the fact that they provoke the removal of a large amount of fluid from the body and are themselves a source of such fluid. As a result, if you drink pharmaceutical antipyretics, and additionally drink drinks based on lingonberries or cranberries, the effect of antipyretics will be more pronounced, the temperature will decrease to a greater extent and for a longer period.

By themselves, neither cranberries or lingonberries, nor lingonberry leaves reduce the temperature. It is impossible to say that these funds somehow quickly or for a long time “knock down” the temperature.

Therefore, it makes no sense to use them as powerful and effective antipyretics, and in addition to traditional drugs based on ibuprofen and paracetamol, they can be used with equal effectiveness. It doesn't matter if the patient drinks lingonberry or cranberry juice after taking an antipyretic - the effect in both cases will be the same.

Finally, for the treatment of cough, both lingonberries and cranberries are equally of little use. They do not have any pronounced effects, do not increase the productivity of the cough and do not help cleanse the lungs. In fact, the berries of these plants do not help with diseases of the lower respiratory tract. Therefore, it does not matter here what specific means the patient decides to use - they will not act on a cough in the same way.

Other diseases and comparison of lingonberries and cranberries with them

In many other diseases, lingonberries and cranberries also exhibit the same properties and are quite interchangeable.

For example, in diseases of the kidneys, both berries have a similar diuretic effect and can be both useful (for example, in pyelonephritis) and strictly contraindicated. For example, in the presence of kidney stones, the diuretic effect of the fetus can lead to the movement of these stones, blockage of the ureters and the development of obstruction with a strong deterioration in the patient's condition. The action of both cranberry and lingonberry berries in these cases is identical.

Cranberry juice is contraindicated in chronic glomerulonephritis and urate kidney stones.

In case of any kidney disease, preparations based on lingonberry leaves have a much more pronounced effect than various drinks and dishes made from berries - it does not matter, lingonberries or cranberries.

Which berry is the tastiest?

In general, it is believed that lingonberries are tastier than cranberries, although a lot here depends on individual preferences. Cranberry is bitter, and therefore, in itself, as a delicacy, it is used less often than sweeter lingonberries. Drinks, jams and jams based on cranberries are more specific than their lingonberry counterparts and not everyone likes it.

Traditionally lingonberry and lingonberry jams are considered more delicacies than cranberry jams.

At the same time, when added to various pickles, fermented products, it is cranberries that give them a peculiar piquant taste. In this regard, lingonberries are good on their own, but rarely complement the taste of other products. Therefore, cabbage is often fermented with cranberries, added to the marinade, and lingonberries are used to make jams, preserves, and fillings in pies.

In general, lingonberries are used in cooking about as widely as cranberries.

How safe are these plants: contraindications and possible side effects

Given the similarity of properties, both cranberries and lingonberries are equally safe. The berries themselves are not recommended for use in case of stomach diseases associated with high acidity, they are also prohibited in cases of allergies, kidney stones and exacerbations of certain chronic kidney diseases. In all other cases, both lingonberries and cranberries can be eaten, and they are also allowed for pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers.

Preparations based on lingonberry leaf have much more contraindications - they cannot be taken during pregnancy and lactation, they are not recommended for children under 12 years of age. This is due precisely to the strength of the action of such drugs: they can cause poisoning with hydroquinone (an arbutin derivative) and have an undesirable effect on the fetus.

We can draw a general conclusion: the medicinal and simply beneficial properties of cranberries and lingonberries are almost identical, and minor differences between them are insignificant. That is, in terms of their usefulness for the human body, these berries are no different. Therefore, in the treatment and prevention of certain diseases, it does not matter which of these berries to choose - the effects of their use will be the same. The lingonberry leaf is much more useful as a medicine than the fruits of both lingonberries and cranberries, but due to the presence of serious side effects, it can be used for medicinal purposes only as directed by a doctor.

Cranberry, from the Latin "oxycoccos" meaning "sour ball", the first European settlers called it "cranberry", which means "crane-berry" because of the similarity of the opened flowers to the neck of a crane. The British called this berry "bear mountain" ("bearberries") - as they often saw how bears eat it.

Cowberry from the Latin "vaccinium vitis-idaea" means "vine from Mount Ida". In the people it is called borovka, brusena, core. And the very name "brusvyany" means "red".

Composition of cranberries and cranberries

Compared to cranberries, it contains more niacin (vitamin PP), phosphorus (16–11 mg), calcium (40–14 mg), mono- and disaccharides (8–3.8 g).

But cranberry fruits contain more iron (600–400 mcg), sodium (89.7–7 mg), magnesium (12–7 mg), potassium (119–73 mg), organic acids (3.1–1.9 g ).

Calorie cranberries and cranberries

Only 26 kcal per 100 g of product, while lingonberries are 43 kcal. The difference is small, but it's still there.

Cranberry and cranberry flavor

If cranberries are quite sour, then lingonberries taste sweet and sour, with a slight bitterness, and have a slightly powdery pulp. It is much sweeter, as it contains less acids (2%), but more sugar (up to 8.7%).

Size and color of cranberries and cranberries

Cranberries are slightly larger - about 1 cm, have a dark red color, they immediately give juice at the slightest pressure. Cowberries are about 0.6 cm in size, red in color, and have a higher density.

Place of growth of lingonberries and cranberries

Lingonberries love dry places and grow well in conifers on a hill, while cranberries are considered an inhabitant of swamps.

Absolutely all species of the first plant grow in damp places: sphagnum coniferous forests, raised bogs, sometimes they can be found along the marshy shores of lakes.

Lingonberry and cranberry leaves

Cranberry leaves are oblong or ovate with a short petiole, 3 to 15 mm long, 1 to 6 mm wide.

These are some of the differences that exist between such similar berries - cranberries and lingonberries. In general, both of them are useful and are a real source of vitamins for our body!

A complete diet for the whole family cannot be imagined without berries. Every home should have fresh cranberries or lingonberries prepared for the winter. Which is more useful, let's try to determine.

Comparative characteristics of cranberries and cranberries

Two of everyone's favorite varieties of berries differ from each other, this is true for both composition and taste. Everyone is familiar with the characteristic sour taste of cranberries, which can be found in wetlands. It can grow along the banks of rivers or on soil covered with mosses. The fruits contain 3.4% acids and a maximum of 6% sugar. Berry picking is carried out in spring and autumn, and the spring harvest is characterized by pronounced sweetness, and the autumn harvest has the utmost utility and a high concentration of vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Similar features are endowed with no less healthy and vitamin-rich lingonberries, although you can see that they are definitely sweeter. In lingonberries, less than 2% acids, and a maximum of 8.7% sugar. Bushes with valuable berries can be found in coniferous and mixed forests, they say that fruits from coniferous forests have a richer taste. Interestingly, the lingonberry bush lives up to three hundred years. Look for ripe berries in August and September. By appearance, you can determine with the naked eye where the lingonberries are, and where the cranberries are. Cranberries are larger and have a glossy surface. Cowberries are smaller, have denser and slightly flattened fruits.

Composition of cranberries and lingonberries

Let's study the berries deeper, considering the substances that are useful for the human body that are included in them. The richest chemical composition of cranberries is represented by B-group vitamins, without which the normal functioning of many human organs and systems is impossible. In addition, nicotinic acid, vitamin K and vitamin C are present in large quantities. It should also be noted that along with this product, a whole complex of minerals and other elements enters the body. It is known that lingonberries are no worse, they are also filled with B vitamins, nicotinic acid, vitamins A, C, E. Red berries are full of microelements and macroelements. It should also be noted that the fruits contain a range of organic acids, mineral salts, tannins and pectin substances, which undoubtedly has a positive effect on the functioning of the body.

Calorie cranberries and cranberries

The two berries under consideration have a slightly different calorie content. A 100-gram serving of cranberries contains 26 kcal, and 100 grams of lingonberries contain 43 kcal. As you can see, the difference is insignificant, but still there. For diets, this is important.

Medicinal qualities of cranberries and lingonberries

Cranberry treatment

Cranberry folk remedies are used as an antipyretic and antiviral agent. The berry is able to enhance the activity of antibiotics, destroy microbes and reduce high blood pressure. You can use the fruits as a mild natural diuretic, and also take them as an additional remedy in the treatment of urinary tract infections. In cranberry lovers, the percentage of bad cholesterol in the blood decreases, and, as a result, the amount of good cholesterol increases. With regular eating of berries in moderation, the secretory activity of the digestive system organs is enhanced.

Cowberry treatment

Our distant ancestors knew about the positive effect of lingonberries with cranberries, both varieties of berries were used to treat coughs, relieve headaches and get rid of kidney stones. Next, let's take a look at cranberries. Berries, containing a huge amount of vitamin C, can protect the body from the terrible disease scurvy. Lingonberries are used instead of antipyretic and antiviral drugs, so they have proven themselves well in the treatment of flu and colds. The berries are said to help treat urinary tract infections, prevent the growth of kidney stones, and act as a diuretic. The antioxidant potential of lingonberries lies in the ability of active substances to strengthen blood vessels and cell membranes. For those suffering from alcohol dependence, hangover symptoms are relieved by eating a little pickled berries. Cowberry neutralizes all dangerous microbes, works as an antirheumatic agent, reduces pressure in hypertensive patients, and helps to remove excess bile. It is also known that berries prevent the liver from fouling with fat and neutralize bad cholesterol.

The benefits of wild berries

It is good when the house has frozen cranberries or lingonberries. What is more useful from berries - this question cannot be answered unambiguously, since each variety has its own merits. When drawing up the right diet, be sure to pay attention to other wild berries. Blueberries contain tannins and many useful acids, it contains iron salts, ascorbic acid and pectin components. Blueberries contain a whole list of biologically active elements, the product is suitable for diets and does not provoke allergies. The properties of sea buckthorn do not change when frozen, the berries are rich in vitamins, acids, microelements, fructose and various biologically active substances. Strawberries contain impressive portions of folic acid and pectin compounds, the product helps regulate metabolism, dilates blood vessels and improves heart function.

The main thing is to choose only ecologically favorable areas for picking berries, where the accumulation of harmful substances by fruits is excluded.