Drink found to reduce the risk of coronary problems ALISON CHIESA drinking three glasses of cranberry juice a day could reduce the risk of heart disease by 40%, a new study has suggested. The juice may combat heart disease by raising levels of "good" cholesterol and antioxidants, researchers said yesterday. A group of 19 volunteers, with high cholesterol, were given between one and three glasses of juice per day, over a period of three months.

Scientists found that three servings appeared to increase levels of high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol by an average of 10%. HDL is known as a "good" cholesterol because unlike "bad" low density lipoprotein it protects against heart disease. The increase corresponded to a reduction in heart disease risk of about 40%, based on known epidemiological data. Simultaneously, researchers found the amount of antioxidants available to the body increased by up to 121% after two or three glasses of cranberry juice a day.

Antioxidants mop up dangerous atomic particles called free radicals and are also known to reduce the risk of heart disease, as well as cancer.

Professor Joe Vinson, from the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania, who led the research, said: "This study gives consumers another reason to consider drinking cranberry juice, which has more health benefits than previously believed. "People should consider drinking it with their meals, perhaps as an alternative to soda." Researchers presented the findings at the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society in New Orleans. How cranberry juice influences cholesterol levels is not clear. Mr Vinson suspects that it involves the fruit's high levels of polyphenols, a powerful type of antioxidant. He now plans to test the effect of cranberry juice on volunteers with normal cholesterol levels. Previous studies have shown that cranberries - a rich source of vitamin C - can help prevent and treat urinary tract infections, such as cystitis, by keeping bacteria from attaching to the urinary tract walls. Researchers at Rutgers University, in New Jersey, recently isolated the specific compounds responsible for cranberries' effect. The compounds, called condensed tannins or proanthocyanidins, were found to be capable of preventing E-coli bacteria from attaching to cells in the urinary tract. E-coli is the primary bacterium responsible for urinary tract infections.

The researchers estimated that the amount of condensed tannins in a 10oz glass of cranberry juice cocktail, consumed on a daily basis, would help prevent E-coli from attaching to the walls of the bladder and kidney and ward off infections. Cranberry juice was first made by American settlers in 1683 and is the official state beverage of Massachusetts. The fruit may also help reduce the risk of gum disease, stomach ulcers and cancer. Thought to be named after the cranes which feed on them, cranberries proliferate in the boggy marshlands of the Canadian and North American seaboard. High in benzoic acid, which is a natural preservative, native American Indians taught pilgrims their uses as a preserver of winter foods and staple of flavourings and sauces for bland, run-down food stores.-March 25th