101 Foods That Could Save Your Life

Did you know … “craneberry”, as it was called by American Pilgrims, was given that name because the spring bush blossom resembled a crane. It was then shortened to “cranberry” sometime later.

Cranberries are one of three fruits native to the United States and Canada. They grow in fruit beds called bogs. The most common way of harvesting cranberries is to flood the fruit beds and “beat” the fruit loose using a specialized harvester. The floating fruit is then gathered and loaded onto trucks for delivery to a receiving station.

Historically used both as a culinary ingredient and as medicine by Native Americans, cranberries first became popular in our culture during the Revolutionary War. Henry Hall, a war veteran, planted the first commercial cranberry beds in Dennis, Massachusetts, in 1816. Today, cranberries account for nearly 40,000 acres across the northern United States and Canada, and over 300 million pounds of the berries were sold in 2004 to become fresh, frozen, juiced, dried, jellied, sauced and even “pilled” products.

They are mainly grown commercially in Wisconsin, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon, Washington, and also in the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Quebec.

Cranberries are rich in fibre and are an excellent source of vitamin C and phytonutrients, such as flavonoids and proanthocyanidins (PAC). They contain more phenolic antioxidants than nineteen of the most popular consumed fruits according to a study published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry.

A lot of the initial work with cranberries, especially with its role in fighting urinary tract infections (UTIs), was anecdotal. It was mum’s advice and she knew it worked. Now research is finding that mothers were right all along! The National Institutes of Health has twelve studies underway focusing primarily on further defining cranberries’ activity against UTIs.

According to Martin Starr, Ph.D. scientific advisor to the Cranberry Institute, cranberries are not only nutritious but have unique antiadhesion and antibacterial properties not found in other fruit:

There have been multiple clinical studies done using cranberry juice and it turns out that cranberry has unique antiadhesion properties that prevent certain harmful bacteria from sticking to cells in our body. This newer concept of antiadhesion is not just limited to UTIs [urinary tract infections] but potentially other harmful bacteria as well, including those responsible for stomach ulcers and gum disease.

CANCER: Multiple studies have found that flavonoid compounds including anthocyanins, flavonols and proanthocyanidins, found naturally in cranberries, may be able to fight leukaemia, breast, lung, colon and potentially many other types of cancer.

HEART DISEASE: Flavonoids may also reduce the risk of atherosclerosis. The flavonoid and phenolic compounds in cranberries have been shown to reduce LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, a known risk factor for atherosclerosis, while potentially raising protective HDL (“good”) cholesterol. Amazingly, cranberry juice may be as effective in fighting heart disease as using the whole cranberry!

DIGESTIVE HEALTH: Cranberry juice has been shown to inhibit the bacteria associated with peptic ulcers, H. pylori. Though most ulcers are not life-threatening, H. pylori bacteria has been associated with stomach cancer, acid reflux disease, and gastritis. Cranberries’ properties have also been shown to help reduce diarrhoea.

PERIODONTAL DISEASE: In a study that appeared in the Journal of the American Dental Association, a component of cranberry juice was demonstrated to have the ability to stop bacteria from adhering to teeth and gums, thus reducing dental plaque and periodontal disease.

• Purchase prepackaged in plastic bags. Look for plump, firm and bright berries.

• Besides raw cranberries, you can also purchase dried (usually sweetened), juice (sweetened and unsweetened), sauce, jelly and even cranberry supplements.

• Store cranberries in the crisper section of the refrigerator, in their original bag, for up to four weeks, or in the freezer section for up to six months.

• Unsweetened juice can be rather bitter-tasting by itself, so it’s best mixed with equal parts of apple juice or any other sweet juice of choice. It also comes in the “cocktail” form, sweetened or artificially sweetened.

• Topping a bowl of cereal with a small handful of dried cranberries, tossing in a salad, or including as a focal point to almost any side dish (such as a cranberry pilaf) adds that “sweet-tart” taste that’s delightful.

Kamut-Cranberry Salad

by Chef J. Hugh McEvoy

Servings: 6 • Prep and cooking time: 60 minutes

This makes a great breakfast cereal alternative. Serve with maple syrup and cinnamon. This recipe contains six powerhouse foods.

INGREDIENTS:

12oz/350g organic kamut berries

4oz/110g Vidalia onions, chopped

2 teaspoons butter, unsalted

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon garlic cloves, chopped fine

1oz/25g dried sweetened cranberries

2oz/50g dry roasted pecans, unsalted

Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Using a heavy saucepan, cook kamut berries in one gallon of boiling salted water until tender, approximately 45 to 50 minutes. Drain cooked grain and reserve for next steps.

Using the pan the grain was cooked in, sauté chopped onion in extra-virgin olive oil and butter until lightly browned. Add garlic, sauté until just soft, then add cooked grain, nuts and cranberries. Bring mixture up to a simmer. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

BREAK IT DOWN …

Calories: 261; Total fat: 10g; Saturated fat: 2g; Cholesterol: 3mg; Sodium: 60mg; Total carbs: 42g; Fibre: 7g; Sugar: 15g; Protein: 8g.