Vaccinium macrocarpon
Vaccinium macrocarpon
Synonyms - American cranberry, Arandano Americano, Arandano trepador, bear berry, black cranberry, bog cranberry, Ericaceae (family), European cranberry, grosse moosebeere, isokarpalo, Kranbeere, Kronsbeere, large cranberry, low cranberry, marsh apple, mountain cranberry, moosebeere, mossberry, Oxycoccus hagerupii, Oxycoccus microcarpus, Oxycoccus macrocarpus, Oxycoccus palustris, Oxycoccus quadripetalus , pikkukarpalo, preisselbeere, ronce d'Amerique , trailing swamp cranberry, Tsuru-kokemomo, Vaccinium edule, Vaccinium erythrocarpum, Vaccinium hageruppi, Vaccinium microcarpum, Vaccinium occycoccus, Vaccinium plaustre, Vaccinium vitis .
Desription - The native American bog-cranberry (V. macrocarpon) occurs in much of eastern North America in bogs from Newfoundland to Manitoba, south to Virginia, Ohio, and northern Illinois, and locally to the mountains of North Carolina. The designation "large-fruited" cranberry distinguishes our cranberry of the supermarket from the small cranberry V. oxycoccos, a diminutive plant which occurs throughout the northerly regions of the northern hemisphere, notably the north of Europe, but also in North America in bogs south to New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Minnesota. It has considerably smaller fruits, which turn brownish red, and are not as appealing as our common cranberry.
Medicinal use - Researchers at the Kaohsiung Medical University in Taiwan have found a compound called proanthocyanidin A-1, isolated from the evergreen shrub vaccinium vitis-idaea (cowberry, lingonberry or Alpine cranberry) significantly suppressed herpes type 2 infections in vitro without any toxic effect. The plant compound didn't make herpes simplex-2 any less infectious. Instead, it interfered with the virus when it tried to latch onto and penetrate cells - a necessary step for infection by the herpes virus. The compound did not exhibit any harmful effects on cells at doses necessary to block entrance of the virus into the cells. Cranberry has also been known to treat anorexia, bladder conditions, bladder infections, blood disorders, cancer prevention, cancer treatment, decontamination (of meats), diuresis (increasing urine flow), gall bladder stones, improving brain function, influenza, liver disorders, plaque, recurrent cystitis, rheumatoid arthritis, scurvy, stomach ailments, vomiting, wound care and be an antibacterial and anti-inflammatory! Cranberry juice inhibits the adherence of Escherichia coli ( E. coli) to the epithelial cells in urinary tracts by 80 percent!
Dosage - Adults (18 years and older)for urinary tract infection prevention : Recommended doses range from 90 to 480 milliliters (3 to 16 ounces) of cranberry cocktail twice daily, or 15 to 30 milliliters of unsweetened 100% cranberry juice daily. 300 milliliters per day (10 ounces) of commercially available cranberry cocktail (Ocean SprayŽ) has been used in well-designed research. Cranberry for children has been used safely in doses of 15 milliliters per kilogram of body weight in one study, or 300 milliliters per day of cranberry juice for three months.
