In 1845, a barrel of cranberries washed up on Terschelling. This was taken by beachcombers in the hope that it contained something valuable. The barrel is inverted in the dunes. It only contained berries from North America, unfortunately! The seeds germinated and felt at home in the sandy soil. After that there was no stopping it. The cranberry bush spread throughout Terschelling, the island called Skylge by the Frisians. Before this, this cranberry variety was only known in North America. There are other types of cranberries native to Europe, but they are not made into products on a large scale. Nowadays, all kinds of cranberry products come from Terschelling, such as cranberry jam, compote and tea. NB! This article is written from the personal view of the author and may contain information that is not scientifically substantiated and/or in line with the general view.

Contents:

• Vitamins in cranberries
• Minerals in cranberry
• Proanthocyadins in cranberry
• Difference in effectiveness
• Cranberry against cancer
• Phytonutrients in cranberries
• Cranberries for the immune system
• Cranberries good for digestive system
• Cranberry eating tips

Vitamins in cranberries

Cranberries are rich in vitamin C. An ounce of cranberries contains 22% of the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for vitamin C. There is a wide variety of vitamins in this berry: vitamin E (8% DV), vitamin B5 (6%). RDA), vitamin B6 (4% RDA) and vitamin K (4% RDA). The cranberry from the North American continent has more vitamins, but they all have percentages lower than 3%.

Minerals in cranberry

Minerals are abundantly present in the cranberry. The manganese content is the highest: 16% of the RDI. The cranberry contains copper in reasonable quantity; 7% of the RDA. This berry is also rich in iron, although only 3% of the RDA is in 100 grams of cranberries. The other minerals potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and zinc are contained in a percentage that is lower than 3%.

Proanthocyadins in cranberry

Cranberries contain the phytonutrients proanthocyadins that prevent and cure all kinds of diseases related to the bladder and urethra. These ultra-healthy substances also ensure that growths in the stomach are less likely to occur.Harvest cranberries in the US / Source: Parellada, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA-3.0)

Difference in effectiveness

Cranberries help ensure proper functioning of the heart and blood vessels. Not every way of eating cranberries is equally effective in terms of nutritional intake. Scientific research has shown that fresh cranberries work better than the same weight of processed cranberries in jams and sauces. Fresh cranberries are rarely for sale in the Netherlands. The healthy effect concerns the antioxidant effect of cranberries, the anti-inflammatory effects and the anti-cancer effect.

Cranberry against cancer

Cranberries are especially effective against prostate cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer and colon cancer. Some scientific studies have discovered a number of important mechanisms in the cranberry that halt the formation of cancerous tumors.

• Blocking Matrix Metalloproteases (MMPs),
• Stopping ornithine decarboxylase (ODC),
• Stimulating quinone reductase enzymes,
• Inhibiting CYP2C9s (Phase I detoxification enzymes)
• and encouraging apoptosis or sudden death of the cancer cell.

Phytonutrients in cranberries

Cranberries contain dozens of different phytonutrients, all of which play a role in body processes. It contains phenolic acids, proanthocyadins, anthocyadins, flavonoids and triterpenids. These are all difficult names, but it is good to know that some of these substances have a stronger effect than some vitamins and minerals that are thought to be very healthy. Many phytonutrients have the property of strengthening the effect of other phytonutrients and vitamins and minerals. As a result, eating fresh fruit has many more health effects than eating vitamin pills containing synthetic variants of vitamins.

Cranberries for the immune system

Scientific research has shown that cranberries boost the immune system. People who regularly eat cranberries are less likely to catch a cold and get the flu. This is mainly due to the high content of proanthocyadins.Source: Whitney, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-2.0)

Cranberries good for digestive system

The cranberry is very good for the health of various aspects of the digestive system. As previously reported, cranberries prevent the risk of developing all kinds of growths in the stomach. Digestion begins in the mouth and eating cranberries prevents diseases related to teeth such as alveolar process, periodontal ligament, gum disease and cementum. In the stomach, cranberries have the effect of stimulating the growth of bifidobacteria. This is a bacterium with friendly properties that makes food easier to digest. The H. pylori bacteria on the other hand, a bacteria that can cause disease, is killed by the many phytonutrients in cranberry.

Cranberry eating tips

You can put fresh cranberries in cakes and bread if you like to bake. There is cranberry compote to make sauce. Cranberry sauce is the traditional sauce for a baked camembert. This combination tastes uniquely good. Cranberry juice can be purchased in any health food store. When you go to Terschelling you can take some delicious and healthy cranberry products with you. You can plant a cranberry bush in your own garden so that you can pick cranberries yourself in the future. It likes a bit of sandy soil.