Cranberries: 5 Things to Know About This Healthy, Colorful Fruit (2024)
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In the fall, the cranberry’s heyday begins. Harvest season is marked by a sea of red for many regions, and while top cranberry producer Wisconsin is the state most recognized for its cranberry crop, Maine and parts of Canada also contribute to global cranberry production. Maine alone produces approximately 2 millions pounds annually, and this year, the state’s production may exceed 2.5, owing to few pest challenges and obliging weather conditions.
Known for its colorful skin and flavor pizzazz, the cranberry is one of just three fruits native to North America, where it enjoys renown for its distinctly sweet-tart flavor and its irrevocable role in juices and as a holiday complement. The cranberry is also a contender when it comes to antioxidant content. While wild blueberries outperform them when it comes to measuring bothantioxidantcapacity and cellular antioxidant activity, cranberries pack their own health punch. Just by virtue of being a member of the high-antioxidant, free radical-fighting berry family, they are implicated in many benefits for the brain and cardiovascular system, and as a defense against some cancers. Eating cranberries is a key part of experiencing the rainbow of colors that nature provides to assist in disease prevention efforts.
If this intrepid berry has piqued your interest, your timing is right on target. Here are five things that will help you better understand and embrace a colorful fruit this season.
1) An Historical Remedy
It’s widely known that cranberries are a lauded home remedy for urinary tract infections. Research into whether cranberries have earned their reputation as a UTI treatment is ongoing, but studies have found that they do provide a defense against the bacteria responsible for UTIs, as do wild blueberries. The berry’s ability to prevent bacterial attachment may also provide benefits for ulcers, for example. Native Americans were well acquainted with this bacteria-preventing characteristic – they would crush up cranberries and use them as treatment for wounds.
Cranberries are known for their unique growing and harvesting method in bogs. Cranberries actually grow on vines – they thrive in soft, marshy ground and grow naturally in areas that provide this environment. When cranberries ripen on the vines growing in these wetlands, farmers fill the area with water. A machine used to beat the water releases the cranberries from their vines, and they are left to float on the water’s surface, creating the crimson tide that we know as the cranberry bog. There, the floating berries are easy to collect and ship.
3) Scarlet, Frankly
Initially, cranberries are white (harvesting while the berries are still white explains white cranberries and white cranberry juice) and they take on their deep ruby color with ripening, thanks to anthocyanin, a phytonutrient that provides color and health benefits. Natural sunlight is the catalyst to increasing phytonutrient content in the cranberry – the more sun, the more powerful the berry’s health benefits. Anthocyanins, found in all berries, promote health by fighting cell damage and reducing inflammation, a risk factor in many health issues, including cardiovascular disease and cancer.
4) Synergy
This red berry has more than spunk – it has synergy. Synergyis nature’s way of “packaging” nutrients that results in big health benefits. It occurs when components within the same food, or components between different foods, work together in a way that is more powerful than their effects would be separately. This heightened nutritional value supports disease prevention efforts and other aspects of health, such as weight loss. Some recent studies indicate that cranberries eaten whole rather than consumed as a liquid, dried, or in supplement form, for example, allow a synergistic reaction that heightens their dietary impact. (It’s the same with other foods like wild blueberries, a fruit that lends itself to being consumed whole if you are looking for a healthy, easy-to-eat alternative.) It’s another reason that buying the whole fruit is best for health – the special nutritional power of berries the way nature created them simply can’t be replicated.
5) Beyond the Bird
It might be early in the season to think about stuffing your Thanksgiving bird, but that’s no reason to wait to start enjoying cranberries. Berries of all kinds complete the health picture every day of the year by providing superb nutrition. And, cranberries are an excellent way to enjoy red-colored foods as we strive to eat across the color spectrum. Start welcoming them in your non-holiday recipes right now, in a Cranberry Relish for starters, to use in everyday sandwiches and sides. Enjoy a Cranberry Almond Cinnamon Tartto add zing to a meal, or bake Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies for the kids. Keep the trend going with Creamy Cranberry Salad to take full advantage of this colorful fruit. And, remember that you can substitute frozen wild blueberries for cranberries in many recipes.
Want a pie that packs and antioxidant punch? Please your palate with a Cranberry and Wild Blueberry Pie. Healthy eating never tasted so good!
What other fruits are native to North America?One is the wild blueberry, of course, indigenous to Maine and parts of Canada. The other is the Concord grape, which traces its history to nearby Concord, Massachusetts.
With a high vitamin C content, cranberries were stored and consumed on long sea voyages to help prevent scurvy. Because they prevent bacteria, cranberries can help curb plaque buildup on teeth which can lead to cavities and gum disease, and the antioxidants and phytonutrients in them have many other health benefits.
With a high vitamin C content, cranberries were stored and consumed on long sea voyages to help prevent scurvy. Because they prevent bacteria, cranberries can help curb plaque buildup on teeth which can lead to cavities and gum disease, and the antioxidants and phytonutrients in them have many other health benefits.
Cranberries are a good source of certain vitamins and minerals, as well as several unique plant compounds that may help prevent UTIs, stomach cancer, and heart disease. Cranberries are a member of the heather family and related to blueberries, bilberries, and lingonberries.
Cranberries are well known for being rich in antioxidants. One study found that among 20 common fruits, cranberries have the highest level of phenols, a type of antioxidant. The anthocyanins found in cranberries may have anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory effects.
There are various health benefits of cranberry juice, including preventing infections, delaying or reducing the severity of chronic disease, and preventing age-related oxidative damage. Cranberry juice can also temporarily make conditions, such as acid reflux, worse because it is mildly acidic.
Cranberries have unique health benefits. In addition to supporting cardiovascular health and reducing the risk of certain cancers, they are fat- and cholesterol-free with very little sodium. Cranberries are a native North American fruit and a Thanksgiving staple for many families.
Or you can purchase already frozen cranberries in your grocery store. If you're wondering how to use cranberries in your diet, some healthy ideas are to throw fresh or frozen cranberries into smoothies, oatmeal, salsa, or granola.
Cranberries are generally safe, but they can sometimes lead to upset stomach and diarrhea when eaten in large quantities, especially by young children. Mayo Clinic cautions against drinking cranberry juice if you're on a blood-thinning medication, such as warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven).
Unsweetened, pure cranberry juice is a good source of both vitamin C and vitamin E. It's also a decent source of several other vitamins and minerals, including: vitamin C: 26% of the daily value (DV) vitamin E: 20% of the DV.
Several studies indicate that cranberry helps prevent UTIs of the bladder and urethra (the tube that drains urine from the bladder), especially for women who have frequent UTIs. In one study of older women, cranberry juice reduced the amount of bacteria in the bladder compared to placebo.
Cranberries are filled with vitamin C and salicylic acid. The vitamin C present in cranberries is known for helping individuals achieve glowy skin and visibly eliminate blemishes. These two components work together to also help reduce hyper-pigmentation, eliminate acne scars, and lighten blemishes.
Historically, cranberry fruits or leaves were used for bladder, stomach, and liver disorders, as well as diabetes, wounds, and other conditions. Today, cranberry is most commonly promoted for urinary tract infections (UTIs).
Introducing cranberries into your meals is a sweet and tangy way to boost your eye health. Their rich content of vitamins and antioxidants can combat sight loss conditions such as retinitis pigmentosa and macular degeneration, making cranberries a must-have in a diet aimed at preventing blindness.
Both forms of cranberries will offer you the same nutritional benefits and medicinal value. However, dried ones are high in carbs, calories, and sugar than fresh ones, but they still contain most of the essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants found in fresh ones.
The Indians called the red berries "sasemineash" and also "pakimintzen." The Pilgrims gave this fruit the name "crane berry" because its pink blossom reminded them of the head of a crane, a large wading bird. Over the years its name has been shortened to cranberry.
Demos were recorded and sent out to a variety of record labels under that original name: “The Cranberry Saw Us.” One tape was returned in the mail and was addressed to “The Cranberries.” That typo allowed the band to see the mistake they'd made with their name, so “The Cranberry Saw Us” became “The Cranberries.”
Myth: Cranberries grow in water. Fact: Cranberries are actually grown on sandy vines in bogs and marshes. The cranberry bog is flooded with water when the cranberries are ready to be harvested and the cranberries float to the top.
Harvesting, they flood the bogs to take advantage of one of the unique aspects of cranberries. Cranberries are hollow and they float. They flood the bogs, they cut the cranberries from the vine, and then scoop them up in large vacuums. In fact, some growers use helicopters to assist with the harvest.
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