Thursday, June 25, 2015

A Delicious Potato Salad Recipe and the Latest Cranberry Info and Research From the Cranberry Institute


Check out these interesting fasts and studies, along with a very creative potato salad recipe, from the Cranberry Institute!!


Tasty Tidbits about the Tiny, Tart Cranberry

·         Cranberry products are naturally low in sugar and high in acidity (very similar to a lemon!) so they require sweetening to be palatable—but when it comes to dried cranberries, the total amount of sugar is equal to that of other dried fruits, like raisins and dried cherries.
·         Drinking 8–16 oz. of 27% original, low- or no-calorie cranberry juice cocktail each day is recommended to maintain urinary tract health and prevent urinary tract infections.
·         One-quarter cup of dried cranberries is equal to  cup of fruit, according to MyPlate.

Science Bites: News from Cranberry Scientists

Does Cranberry Protect the Urinary Tract Post-Surgery?
As you know, placing a urinary catheter is quite common when having surgery – including gynecological surgeries.  Unfortunately, the risk for a urinary tract infection (UTI) after the catheter is removed can be quite high – 10-64% of patients contract one.  To determine if there is a simple way to relieve women from the aches and pains of a post-surgical UTI, researchers from the University of Michigan provided 160 patients with two cranberry juice capsules, two times a day, for six weeks post-surgery.  The cranberry capsules contained whole cranberry extract from cranberry juice, skins, flesh, and seeds, and were standardized to contain 36 mg of proanthocyanidins (PACs) per two capsules. The capsule dose is similar to drinking two, 8-ounce servings of cranberry juice. Compared to a placebo-control group, the women that consumed the capsules had a significantly lower occurrence of UTIs – even when confounding variables were considered, e.g., frequency of intermittent self-catheterization.

Foxman, B., Cronenwett, AEW, Spino, C., Berger, MB., Morgan, DM.  Cranberry juice capsules and urinary tract infection after surgery: results of a randomized trial.  Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2015 Apr 13; pii: S0002-9378(15)00355-5. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2015.04.003. [Epub ahead of print]

Two Cups a Day for your Heart
For people struggling with cardiometabolic risk factors – like high blood pressure, high triglycerides or insulin resistance, and above normal levels of C-reactive protein and fasting blood glucose – dietary approaches are king.  Among the recommendations RDs make for such individuals, new research shows that low calorie cranberry juice (just two cups a day) may also help attenuate these factors.  Research published in the Journal of Nutrition looked at the impact of two 240 mL servings on blood pressure, C-reactive protein, triglycerides and glucose in an eight-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-arm study.  Twice a day, 30 women and 26 men on a controlled diet were given 240 mL of low calorie cranberry juice or the placebo beverage, containing 173 or 62 mg of phenolic compounds and 6.5 or 7.5 g of total sugar per a 240-mL serving, respectively.  The results showed that these two cups a day of low calorie cranberry juice significantly improved triglycerides, C-reactive protein, glucose, insulin resistance and diastolic blood pressure.

Novotny, JA., Baer, DJ., Khoo, C., Gebauer, SK., Charron, CS.  Cranberry Juice Consumption Lowers Markers of Cardiometabolic Risk, Including Blood Pressure and Circulating C-Reactive Protein, Triglyceride, and Glucose Concentrations in Adults. J. Nutr. April 22, 2015 jn203190.  [Epub ahead of print]

RESOURCE REMINDER!

USDA-Reviewed Cranberry Health Research Review
If you haven’t seen it yet, check out the USDA-reviewed cranberry nutrition and health review published in the Cranberry Health Research Library on CranberryInstitute.org

Cranberry Health Research Library
Browse the selections by year to find the most recent publications: http://cranberryinstitute.org/doclib/doclib_search.cgi

Say Cheers with America’s Original Superfruit㈢
Stay hydrated this summer with cranberry juice cocktail five different ways!
·         Celebrate July 4th with a patriotic red, white and blue punch featuring cranberry juice cocktail and champagne mixed with fresh blueberries and diced applesˇfor a festive finish, top with a flag instead of umbrellas! For the kids, make it with sparkling cider instead of champagne
·         Freeze cranberry juice cocktail in ice cube trays and add to seltzer for a fruity zing that invigorates your drink
·         Combine cranberry juice cocktail, pineapple juice and club soda for a spritzer perfect for hot summer days
·         Make your favorite sangria recipe, swapping out your typical juice combo for cranberry juice cocktail
·         Mix orange and cranberry juice cocktail (one to one ratio), pour into ice pop molds and freeze for a refreshing summer snack!
o   No molds? No problem! Pour into sturdy, freezer-proof cups and add popsicle sticks

Put a Twist on a Summer BBQ Classic!

Amp up a stand-by side dish for your next barbeque with tangy cranberries and crisp cucumber in a fresh take on potato salad.

CRANBERRY & CUCUMBER POTATO SALAD
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients
8 oz. small red or yellow-skinned potatoes
 cup nonfat plain Greek-style yogurt
2 Tbsp. reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. white balsamic or cider vinegar
 tsp. hot red pepper sauce
 cup dried cranberries
1 cup diced seedless cucumber
 cup thinly sliced scallions

Directions
1.       Wash potatoes and boil with skin on for 15-20 minutes or until almost tender. Remove from heat and drain. Cool. Cut into cubes and set aside.
2.       In a bowl, whisk together yogurt, mayonnaise, vinegar and pepper sauce. Stir in cranberries and let stand 20 minutes to soften cranberries slightly.
3.       Stir potatoes, cucumber and scallions into yogurt-cranberry mixture and toss to coat. Adjust seasoning as needed. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.

Mix it up! Switch out cucumber for diced apple or pear, or try it garnished with chopped, toasted pecans or walnuts.

Nutrition Information Per Serving: Calories 70, Calories from Fat 10, Saturated Fat 0g, Trans Fat 0g, Total Fat 1g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 70mg, Total Carbohydrate 14g, Sugars 6g, Dietary Fiber 1g, Protein 3g, Vitamin A 2%, Vitamin C 8%, Calcium 4%, Iron 2%

Hungry for more recipes? uscranberries.com
Cranberry Institute
P.O. Box 497
Carver, MA 02330
www.cranberryinstitute.org

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