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
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