The North American cranberry Vaccinium macrocarpon is of growing public interest as a functional food because of potential health benefits linked to the phytochemicals in the fruit. Cranberry juice has long been consumed for the prevention of urinary tract infections, and research linked this property to the ability of cranberry proanthocyanidins to inhibit adhesion of bacteria responsible for these infections.
History
The cranberry is one of North America’s three native fruits which are commercially grown. Cranberries were first used by Native Americans, who discovered the wild berry’s versatility as a food, fabric dye and healing agent. The colonists learned all about cranberries from them, who recognized the natural preservative power of the berries and often mixed them into meat to extend its shelf life. Today, cranberries are commercially grown throughout the northern part of the United States and are available in both fresh and processed forms.
From Thanksgiving to everyday food
The star of the plate will be that Thanksgiving jewel, the cranberry. Americans will eat 400 million pounds of this little berries per year, 20 percent of them during Thanksgiving week. It’s a shame not to use them year round. The tiny berries are packed with a powerful nutritional punch. They turn any meal into a showstopper. But their glamorous exterior hide a bitter truth: They’re virtually inedible as they are. Raw cranberries are very sour. Native Americans used to harvest them after a few freeze to sweet them up.
Latest cancer researches
There are around 29 publications on the effect of the cranberry on various cancer. 11 of them are on apoptosis. 13 of them are on proliferation, 3 on inflammations and 2 on angiogenesis. The actions of cranberry phytochemicals include induction of apoptosis in cancer cells, decreasing the expression of protease associated with prostate tumor metastasis, and anti-inflammatory activities including inhibition of cyclo-oxygenases.
Types of cancers affected
-gastric cancer
-oral cancer
-lymphoma
-breast cancer
-colon cancer
-prostate cancer
-lung cancer
-bladder cancer
-esophageal cancer
-liver cancer
-brain cancer
Posology (daily diet)
1/2 a cup. You need to do a freeze cycle 4 or 5 times to bring the nature sugar in the berry. Mix it with your meat when you cook.
Cancer Protection Level
| Apoptosis |  |
| Angiogenesis |  |
| Inflammation | |
| Proliferation | |
Bonus: Bust immune system