The Cranberry Super Fruit...!!!The Cranberry, also known as Vaccinium oxycoccus, is a cousin of the blueberry. This tart tasting red berry can be found in colder regions of North America and Canada. Different varieties of the cranberry are grown in the colder areas of Europe as well. Cranberries have not only traditionally been associated with their health properties, but also serve as a food staple for many religious Christian holidays as their season peaks throughout those holidays.
Health Benefits For hundreds of years the Cranberry has been valued with the ability to reduce the risk of urinary tract infections. However, in the early 1990’s, a study published by the American Medical Association gave scientific credibility to this claim and furthermore showed the factual effectiveness of the fruit. They found that women drinking cranberry juice saw a decrease in urinary tract infections by over 50%. Cranberry juice helps prevent urinary tract infections in two ways. First, it acidifies the urine in your body with a property in the juice that acts as an antibacterial agent called hippuric acid. Secondly, the juice contains another property that reduces the ability for the E. coli bacteria to adhere to the walls of the urinary tract. Since 80-90% of all urinary tract infections are caused by E. coli, the protection provided by the cranberry is very significant. Many other health benefits of the cranberry are being investigated, with much of the preliminary research focusing on the antibacterial properties of the fruit. Researchers hope to be able to crack the mystery of its genetic compounds to better evolve the prescription antibiotics we use today.
History of the Cranberry While different species of the cranberry exist throughout the colder areas of the world, the traditional cranberry, as we know it, is thought to be native to the North American regions. The Native Indians of North America enjoyed cranberries by cooking them and using honey to sweeten the cranberry syrup, creating a type of cranberry sauce. The fruit has a relative short season, with the majority of the harvest accruing between Labor Day and Halloween. During this harvest time the fruit can be found in the markets with their traditional deep red color and their plump and firm feel. In fact, the firmness is the primary way to tell the quality of the fruit. During their harvest, the berries are bounced against a slanted platform which has a barrier at the front. The berries that are plump will bounce over the barriers and are considered high quality. The ones that don’t make it over the barrier are obviously less firm and of lower consumer-end quality and therefore are used for food processing.
|
