Most of us have heard of Pomegranates, and Cranberry ... but that the extracts of each can be helpful to oral health is known by few.
Pomegranate: Punica granatum L.
... is a member of two species comprising the Punicaceae family, is a shrub that originated in the region of modern-day Iran and has been cultivated since ancient times throughout the Mediterranean region, Middle East.
It travelled to central and southern India from Iran about the first century A.D. and was reported growing in Indonesia in 1416. It was introduced into Spanish America in the late 16th century and California by Spanish settlers in 1769.
Commonly known as pomegranate, the ripe fruit is grenade-shaped, crowned by the pointed calyx; it can be up to 10cm diameter wide and it is characterized by a deep red, leathery bark. The fruit contains many seeds (arils) separated by a white, membranous peel, individually surrounded by small amounts of tart and red juice. The name pomegranate derives from Latin pōmum "apple" and grānātum "seeded". This has influenced the common name for pomegranate in many languages (e.g. Granada in Spanish, Granatapfel or Grenadine in German, grenade in French, granatäpple in Swedish, gránátalma in Hungarian, and pomogranà in Venetian).
NOTE: fruit peel extract is the pomegranate component in Oral Vitality.
Cranberry: Vaccinium macrocarpon
...also called large cranberry, American cranberry and bearberry, is a North American species of cranberry native to central and (eastern Canada (Ontario to Newfoundland), and the north-eastern and north-central United States (Northeast, Great Lakes Region, and Appalachians as far south as North Carolina and Tennessee). Cranberry is a shrub, often ascending (trailing along the surface of the ground for some distance but then curving upwards). It produces white or pink flowers followed by sour-tasting red or pink berries 9-14 mm across.
The name cranberry derives from "craneberry", first named by early European settlers in America who considered the expanding flower, stem, calyx, and petals resembled the neck, head, and bill of a crane. Another name used in northeastern Canada is "mossberry". In 17th-century New England cranberries were sometimes called "bearberries" as bears were often seen feeding on them.
In North America, Native Americans were the first to use cranberries as food. Calling the red berries "Sassamanash", Algonquian peoples may have introduced cranberries to starving English settlers in Massachusetts who incorporated the berries into traditional Thanksgiving feasts.
Pomegranate: Punica granatum L.
... is a member of two species comprising the Punicaceae family, is a shrub that originated in the region of modern-day Iran and has been cultivated since ancient times throughout the Mediterranean region, Middle East.It travelled to central and southern India from Iran about the first century A.D. and was reported growing in Indonesia in 1416. It was introduced into Spanish America in the late 16th century and California by Spanish settlers in 1769.
Commonly known as pomegranate, the ripe fruit is grenade-shaped, crowned by the pointed calyx; it can be up to 10cm diameter wide and it is characterized by a deep red, leathery bark. The fruit contains many seeds (arils) separated by a white, membranous peel, individually surrounded by small amounts of tart and red juice. The name pomegranate derives from Latin pōmum "apple" and grānātum "seeded". This has influenced the common name for pomegranate in many languages (e.g. Granada in Spanish, Granatapfel or Grenadine in German, grenade in French, granatäpple in Swedish, gránátalma in Hungarian, and pomogranà in Venetian).
Health Benefits - clinical data has shown that:
... pomegranate is an effective antioxidant (scavenges free radicals), anti-inflammatory, anti-bacetrial and bacterial enzyme inhibitor. These properties may assist with oral infections and help to control microorganisms in the oral cavity by reducing bacterial plaque.
... pomegranate can reduce gingiva bleeding, gingivitis.
... may help inhibit various oral bacteria including Escherichia coli.
Traditional Use:
In the Indian subcontinent's ancient Ayurveda system of traditional medicine, the pomegranate has been used extensively as a source of traditional remedies. The rind of the fruit and the bark of the pomegranate tree are used as a traditional remedy against diarrhoea, dysentery, and intestinal parasites. The seeds and juice are considered a tonic for the heart and throat, and classified as having bitter-astringent taste plus a range of taste from sweet to sour, depending on ripeness. Thus, pomegranate is considered a healthful counterbalance to a diet high in sweet-fatty (kapha or earth) components. The astringent qualities of the whole fruit are considered valuable for a variety of purposes, such as stopping nose bleeds and gum bleeds.NOTE: fruit peel extract is the pomegranate component in Oral Vitality.
Cranberry: Vaccinium macrocarpon
...also called large cranberry, American cranberry and bearberry, is a North American species of cranberry native to central and (eastern Canada (Ontario to Newfoundland), and the north-eastern and north-central United States (Northeast, Great Lakes Region, and Appalachians as far south as North Carolina and Tennessee). Cranberry is a shrub, often ascending (trailing along the surface of the ground for some distance but then curving upwards). It produces white or pink flowers followed by sour-tasting red or pink berries 9-14 mm across.The name cranberry derives from "craneberry", first named by early European settlers in America who considered the expanding flower, stem, calyx, and petals resembled the neck, head, and bill of a crane. Another name used in northeastern Canada is "mossberry". In 17th-century New England cranberries were sometimes called "bearberries" as bears were often seen feeding on them.
In North America, Native Americans were the first to use cranberries as food. Calling the red berries "Sassamanash", Algonquian peoples may have introduced cranberries to starving English settlers in Massachusetts who incorporated the berries into traditional Thanksgiving feasts.
