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| "Listen, America. Eat your veggies and like it." |
To address childhood obesity in America, an effort spurred by first lady Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" initiative, the Department of Agriculture
is finalizing guidelines for what can be sold in school vending
machines, stores and a la carte cafeteria lines.
Sugar is widely viewed
as a target, and sweetened beverages like cranberry juice cocktail could
be deemed unhealthy.
That would be
unfortunate and unfair, cranberry industry officials say, because the
tart, deep red fruit is loaded with nutrients and health benefits. But
for consumers to avail themselves of those benefits, cranberries must be
sweetened.
"Cranberries can be sweetened with anything," said Linda Prehn, a cranberry grower in Tomah, Wis., citing apple juice as an example. "But you can't eat 'em raw. They're tough to eat straight up."
Via USA Today
Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" initiative...great idea: move to Kenya, the sooner the better, Michelle,
ReplyDeleteThis just shows how little Michelle Obama knows about nutrition. Packed with nutrition, they are high in vitamin C and in fiber. But cranberries, like their relative the blueberry, also contain antioxidants in abundance which has antibacterial effects on the body.The major flavonoids in freshly squeezed cranberry juice are quercetin and myricetin.
ReplyDeleteQuercetin is found to be the most active of the flavonoids in studies. Quercetin has anti-inflammatory activity because it inhibits some of the process of inflammation at the onset. It is used as a preservative in prepared foods today and has iron-binding properties.
Myricetin is a flavonoid (pigment) and is considered an antioxidant. Fighting free radicals, it is thought to have anti-cancer properties, including the ability to lower the chances of prostate cancer. Myricetin may also lower cholesterol levels.
Oxalates. Cranberries' are high in oxalates, which can rob the body of calcium and can be a cause of kidney stones. Research suggests that the oxalates are not highly bioavailable which means that they are not readily absorbed. This topic is under debate and one should err on the side of caution.
Terpenes create the spicy scent and combined with other phenolic compounds give it its tart, astringent taste.
Pectin - Cranberries are rich in pectins, also found in apples, and is the reason why it can quickly become a sauce.
Michelle Obama should help educate the obese. Food stamps are not the reason people are becoming obese. Lack of exercise, bad diets, fast food and lack of education are the places she should concentrate, not on one item at a time. Sugar is not the enemy here either. It's called moderation. Limiting carbohydrates and portion control is a start but to go after one food or industry is dictatorship in the making. I will decide what I and my family will eat, not her.