Berry Healthy
Some people use cranberries threaded with popcorn to decorate the Christmas tree. Others love cranberries for their taste or eat them for urinary tract support. Now, new evidence reveals even more benefits of this versatile fruit. A study conducted at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth found that rats that consumed high concentrations of cranberry extract had half the usual amount of brain cell death after a stroke. And researchers in Taiwan found that a compound in a type of cranberry (known as lingonberry or partridgeberry) significantly reduced the effects of the herpes type 2 virus in the lab. Tests on humans still need to be done.

Bone Up on Sales
Expect a bigger demand for dairy and leafy greens in the coming months, and remember to thank U.S. Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona. In October his office released a report that predicted that half of all Americans older than 50 will be at risk for fractures from osteoporosis by 2020. Currently, 10 million Americans over age 50 have osteoporosis, and another 34 million are at risk for developing it. To combat this progression, the report recommends consumers get adequate levels of calcium and vitamin D. Calcium is present in high levels in milk and other dairy products, leafy green vegetables and soybeans. Vitamin D is found in fortified milk.

Natural Foods Merchandiser volume XXV/number 12/p. 28