Actually, the Cranberry Institute is a non-profit organization formed in 1951 to bring together cranberry growers and cranberry fans. The Institute promotes research on related health, agricultural, and environmental issues, and promotes continuous cranberry education. Based in East Wareham, Massachusetts, the Cranberry Institute takes its funding from volunteer members involved with the cranberry trade.The Institute’s website is a treasure trove of information on every aspect of cranberries you can imagine. Cranberries were first used as food and medicine by early Native Americans, and the first commercial bed was planted in 1816 in Dennis, Massachusetts. It can be harvested either “wet” or “dry.” In the “wet” process, the cranberry beds are flooded and the fruit is beaten off the wine with a special harvester. In the “dry” process, the fruit is removed with a mechanical picking machine.Besides interesting factoids on the making of cranberries, there’s also a wealth of information on what cranberries can do for you. The Institute brings together laboratory studies from different universities highlighting the cranberry’s effect on cancer, aging, heart health, ulcers, and dental health. Ulcers and dental health, you wonder? Cranberry juice has been shown to prevent the adhesion of the Helicobacter pylori ulcer-causing bacteria, and mouthwashes containing cranberry NDM reduced the colony sizes of Streptococcus mutans, a bacteria commonly associated with cavities.If you’re interested in getting regular news updates, or simply chatting with a fellow cranberry lover, you can contact cinewsearthlink.net. You can also start getting ready for the 2011 Berry Health Benefits Symposium, held June 27-29, 2011. It’s bi-yearly, so don’t worryyou didn’t miss it this year. The Cranberry Institute sponsored the 2009 event, along with the 2009 4^th Cranberry Institute Health Research Conference.