Suppression
Cranberries
Category: Food
Type
Voluntary
Introduction and description
Vaccinium macrocarpon - Cranberries are a group of evergreen dwarf shrubs or trailing vines in the subgenus Oxycoccus of the genus Vaccinium. They can be found in acidic bogs throughout the cooler regions of the northern hemisphere. They are very pretty plants with dark pink flowers which are very attractive to bees.
And of course the fruit is edible – a berry that is larger than the leaves of the plant; it is initially white, but turns a deep red when fully ripe.
Cranberries are a major commercial crop in certain American states and Canadian provinces. Most cranberries are processed into products such as juice, sauce, jam, and sweetened dried cranberries, with the remainder sold fresh to consumers.
“Cranberry sauce is regarded as an indispensable part of traditional American and Canadian Thanksgiving menus and some European winter festivals” - like Christmas!
And they have healing properties.
The Cranberry harvest on the island of Nantucket
Medicinal uses
The observations below provide a host of different health related benefits that have been found for eating cranberries and drinking [unadulterated pure] cranberry juice. This paper explains some of the reasons why they are of special interest
Recent observational and clinical studies have raised interest in the potential health effects of cranberry consumption, an association that appears to be due to the phytochemical content of this fruit.
The profile of cranberry bioactives is distinct from that of other berry fruit, being rich in A-type proanthocyanidins (PACs) in contrast to the B-type PACs present in most other fruit.
Basic research has suggested a number of potential mechanisms of action of cranberry bioactives, although further molecular studies are necessary. Human studies on the health effects of cranberry products have focused principally on urinary tract and cardiovascular health, with some attention also directed to oral health and gastrointestinal epithelia.
Evidence suggesting that cranberries may decrease the recurrence of urinary tract infections is important because a nutritional approach to this condition could lower the use of antibiotic treatment and the consequent development of resistance to these drugs.
There is encouraging ....evidence of a cardioprotective effect of cranberries mediated via actions on antioxidant capacity and lipoprotein profiles.
The mixed outcomes from clinical studies with cranberry products could result from interventions testing a variety of products, often uncharacterized in their composition of bioactives, [ie not pure or unadulterated] ....
Daily consumption of a variety of fruit is necessary to achieve a healthy dietary pattern, meet recommendations for micronutrient intake, and promote the intake of a diversity of phytochemicals. Berry fruit, including cranberries, represent a rich source of phenolic bioactives that may contribute to human health. PMID: 24228191
Method
We have not provided any recipes for this entry, because the Internet is awash with good recipes for a trillion and one ways to use cranberries.
You can eat them raw with lots of honey and cream, but they are also nice pureed and poured over ice cream or used to flavour stews with gamey meats such as venison.
Cranberry sauce is really cranberry jam and goes with anything - ham, pork, chicken....
Nutrients
USDA Nutrients database: Full Report (All Nutrients): 09078, Cranberries, raw
Scientific Name: Vaccinium macrocarpon
|
Nutrient |
unit |
Value per 100g |
|
Water 1 2 |
g |
87.32 |
|
Energy |
kcal |
46 |
|
Energy |
kJ |
191 |
|
Protein 1 2 |
g |
0.46 |
|
Total lipid (fat) 1 |
g |
0.13 |
|
Ash 1 2 |
g |
0.12 |
|
Carbohydrate, by difference |
g |
11.97 |
|
Fiber, total dietary 1 2 |
g |
3.6 |
|
Sugars, total 1 2 |
g |
4.27 |
|
Sucrose 1 2 |
g |
0.16 |
|
Glucose (dextrose) 1 2 |
g |
3.44 |
|
Fructose 1 2 |
g |
0.67 |
|
Lactose 1 2 |
g |
0.00 |
|
Maltose 1 2 |
g |
0.00 |
|
Galactose 1 2 |
g |
0.00 |
|
Starch 1 |
g |
0.00 |
|
MINERALS |
|
|
|
Calcium, Ca 1 2 |
mg |
8 |
|
Iron, Fe 1 2 |
mg |
0.23 |
|
Magnesium, Mg 1 2 |
mg |
6 |
|
Phosphorus, P 1 2 |
mg |
11 |
|
Potassium, K 1 2 |
mg |
80 |
|
Sodium, Na 1 2 |
mg |
2 |
|
Zinc, Zn 1 2 |
mg |
0.09 |
|
Copper, Cu 1 2 |
mg |
0.056 |
|
Manganese, Mn 1 2 |
mg |
0.267 |
|
Selenium, Se 1 |
µg |
0.1 |
|
VITAMINS |
|
|
|
Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid 1 2 |
mg |
14.0 |
|
Thiamin 1 |
mg |
0.012 |
|
Riboflavin 1 |
mg |
0.020 |
|
Niacin 1 |
mg |
0.101 |
|
Pantothenic acid 1 |
mg |
0.295 |
|
Vitamin B-6 1 |
mg |
0.057 |
|
Folate, total 1 |
µg |
1 |
|
Folic acid |
µg |
0 |
|
Folate, food |
µg |
1 |
|
Folate, DFE |
µg |
1 |
|
Choline, total 1 |
mg |
5.5 |
|
Betaine 1 |
mg |
0.2 |
|
Vitamin B-12 |
µg |
0.00 |
|
Vitamin B-12, added |
µg |
0.00 |
|
Vitamin A, RAE |
µg |
3 |
|
Retinol |
µg |
0 |
|
Carotene, beta 1 2 |
µg |
38 |
|
Carotene, alpha 1 |
µg |
0 |
|
Cryptoxanthin, beta 1 |
µg |
0 |
|
Vitamin A, IU |
IU |
63 |
|
Lycopene 1 |
µg |
0 |
|
Lutein + zeaxanthin 1 |
µg |
91 |
|
Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) 1 2 |
mg |
1.32 |
|
Vitamin E, added |
mg |
0.00 |
|
Tocopherol, beta 1 |
mg |
0.00 |
|
Tocopherol, gamma 1 |
mg |
0.04 |
|
Tocopherol, delta 1 |
mg |
0.00 |
|
Vitamin D (D2 + D3) |
µg |
0.0 |
|
Vitamin D |
IU |
0 |
|
Vitamin K (phylloquinone) 1 2 |
µg |
5.0 |
|
FATTY ACIDS |
|
|
|
Fatty acids, total saturated 2 |
g |
0.008 |
|
Fatty acids, total monounsaturated 2 |
g |
0.018 |
|
Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated 2 |
g |
0.055 |
|
Fatty acids, total trans 2 |
g |
0.000 |
|
AMINO ACIDS |
|
|
|
Tryptophan 1 |
g |
0.003 |
|
Threonine 1 |
g |
0.028 |
|
Isoleucine 1 |
g |
0.033 |
|
Leucine 1 |
g |
0.053 |
|
Lysine 1 |
g |
0.039 |
|
Methionine 1 |
g |
0.003 |
|
Cystine 1 |
g |
0.003 |
|
Phenylalanine 1 |
g |
0.036 |
|
Tyrosine 1 |
g |
0.032 |
|
Valine 1 |
g |
0.045 |
|
Arginine 1 |
g |
0.056 |
|
Histidine 1 |
g |
0.018 |
|
Alanine 1 |
g |
0.049 |
|
Aspartic acid 1 |
g |
0.188 |
|
Glutamic acid 1 |
g |
0.146 |
|
Glycine 1 |
g |
0.048 |
|
Proline 1 |
g |
0.031 |
|
Serine 1 |
g |
0.051 |
1Nutrient Data Laboratory, ARS, USDA National Food and Nutrient Analysis Program Wave 5b , 2000 Beltsville MD
2Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc. Nutrient composition of Ocean Spray products , 2015
Related observations
Healing observations
- Berries and berry liqueurs and wines as antioxidants 007153
- Berries and cancer 005363
- Berries, diabetes, cholesterol and the heart 005406
- Cranberries and urinary tract infections 005405
- Dr Duke's list of antiparasitic plants 010310
- Dr Duke's list of Chemicals and their Biological Activities in: Vaccinium macrocarpon AITON (Ericaceae) -- American Cranberry, Cranberry, Large Cranberry 019280
- Dr Duke's list of mercury chelating plants 017825
- Dr Duke's list of Plants containing LUTEIN 018922
- Dr Duke's list of Plants containing NICKEL 021500
- Dr Duke's list of Plants Containing QUERCETIN 021446
- Dr Duke's list of Plants containing RESVERATROL 023253
- Dr Duke's list of Plants containing SELENIUM 020550
- Dr Duke's list of Plants containing SULFUR 021408
- Dr Duke's list of plants having chemicals with vasodilatory activity 017836
- Dr Duke's list of Plants with Antiatherogenic and Antiatheroscleroticactivity 018349
- Dr Duke's list of Plants with Antiatherosclerotic Activity 018414
- Dr Duke's list of Plants with Anticystitic activity 018442
- Dr Duke's list of Plants with Antimyocarditic activity 018437
- Dr Duke's list of Plants with Copper chelator activity 018387
- Dr Duke's list of plants with hemopoietic effects - 2 All plants with activity 012485
- Dr Duke's list of Plants with HIV-RT-Inhibitor Activity of high potency 018289
- Dr Duke’s list of Plants containing BENZYL-BENZOATE [as scabicide] 021369
- Effectively simultaneous naked-eye detection of Cu(II), Pb(II), Al(III) and Fe(III) using cyanidin extracted from red cabbage as chelating agent 017795
- HRT cake 006912
- Nicotine, coffee, cannabis and dopamine 005772
- Nuts and berries for health 005536
- The distribution of (137)Cs, K, Rb and Cs in plants in a Sphagnum-dominated peatland in eastern central Sweden 018265