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Chances are you have never heard of lingonberries, but they are to Scandinavians what cranberries are to North Americans 鈥� a favourite accompaniment to many popular food dishes.

Recently, scientists have been seriously looking into the lingonberry as a new su-per fruit providing unique benefits to human health. Across the country, researchers at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) are actively pursuing genetic improvement and commercialization of lingonberries.

In 2009, Dr. Chris Siow, AAFC scientist at the Canadian Centre for Agri-Food Research in Health and Medicine (CCARM) in Winnipeg began work with Dr. Samir Debnath at the Atlantic Cool Climate Crop Research Cen-tre in St. John鈥檚, Nfld. and Labrador, to select superior wild-growing plants and develop improved lingonberry cultivars. Their research suggests that the genetic types and climatic conditions prevailing in more northern regions give lingonberries higher antioxidant content, especially anthocyanins.

Anthocyanins are one of the valuable phytochemicals that lingonberries contain. Researchers believe these potent antioxidants can help reduce the risk of heart dis-ease and even some cancers. Specifically, anthocyanins prevent oxidation of blood cholesterol and aid in keeping blood vessels healthy. Other studies found certain extracts from lingonberries to be effective against Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, which can cause a wide variety of infections. Lingonberries also contain health-promoting dietary 铿� bre, vitamin C, poly-phenols and omega-3 fatty acids.

鈥淥ur research team learned that lingonberries have remarkable disease-fighting properties and these properties are enhanced the farther north lingonberries are grown. Canada has the potential to increase harvest and production as demand for this health-promoting fruit increases,鈥� said Dr. Siow.

Lingonberries are common in the boreal forests of northern Manitoba. Dr. Siow has been collecting lingonberries from the Flin Flon and Lynn Lake area and comparing them to those grown in Newfoundland. Currently, he is analyzing the chemical composition of the Manitoba lingonberries and assessing their potential health benefits. This project is a collaborative effort, involving AAFC scientists in Newfoundland, Manitoba and British Columbia and other researchers from the University of Manitoba and the Food Development Centre in Portage la Prairie, Man.

The tart, bright red lingonberry (also known as red whortleberry, cowberry, fox-berry, lowbush cranberry, northern mountain cranberry, graines rouges in Quebec, partridgeberry in Newfoundland and rock cranberry in Alaska) is smaller, juicier and less bitter than its distant cousin, the cranberry. It grows on a short semi-evergreen shrub that is found throughout the cold Northern Hemisphere. It is produced commercially in Europe where cultivated varieties (Vaccinium vitisidaea) are available.

A wild subspecies (Vaccinium vitisidaea var. minus) grows in Canada. Most of the lingonberries here are wild harvested, with Newfoundland and Labrador producing more than 90,909 kilograms (200,000 pounds) per year. The demand for lingonberries currently outstrips the supply from wild harvest, so there is a market opportunity for Canadian producers.

Key discoveries (benefits) Lingonberries contain potent antioxidants that re-searchers believe can help reduce the risk of heart disease.

AAFC scientists found that lingonberries growing in Canada鈥檚 northern regions have higher antioxidant con-tent and offer the greatest health benefits.

There is an opportunity for northern agriculture not only to expand but also to produce healthful foods for consumers across Canada and abroad.