Is Cranberry juice really good for you

A.� It's highly favoured by health experts at the moment. Apart from being a rich source of antioxidants and Vitamin C, cranberry juice has antimicrobial qualities, which makes it very effective at treating urinary tract infections. It's widely recommended as a treatment for cystitis and can help common bacterial infections.

Doctors have recently studied the effect of cranberry juice on certain bacteria that can cause gum and tooth disease. They found that cranberry juice is able to reduce the effects of peridontal gum disease.

�

Q.� Why does it seem to have become popular all of a sudden

A.� It's certainly been around for years. It had a great reputation as both a medicine and as a drink among Native Americans, it had been used by American sailors to ward off scurvy, in much the same way as British sailors used lime juice, and was served at the first Thanksgiving feast at Cape Cod in 1621.

It has long been popular in the United States, but its sales in the UK are now growing faster than those of any other fruit juice.

�

Q.� What's the most popular cocktail containing cranberry juice

A.� Bars in New York and London are serving a variety of cocktails based on cranberry juice.

Try a Scarlet Lady. You will need:

2oz gin

1/2 oz lemon juice

3/4 oz Cointreau

1 tsp caster sugar

1 egg white

3oz cranberry juice

Shake ingredients and strain into a cocktail glass.

�

For more food and drink questions and answers, click here

�

By Katharine MacColl