One of my favorite juicy drinks in Kyiv is Mors. The tart cranberry juice on its own, or mixed with raspberry or strawberry juice somehow manages to refresh during the summer and satisfy during the winter. It ranges from fresh to packaged, sour to overly sweet, and light red to burgundy. But no matter how it looks or tastes, there is a hidden bacteria-fighting property that is currently making cranberries (and hence Mors) hot medical news.
Cranberries' ability to fight bladder and urinary tract infections is already well known. However, recent studies have shown that it also has a proven ability to fight bacteria as well. One pesky bacteria affected by cranberries is E. Coli. A group of components in cranberries, known as Tannins, change the bacterial structure on a molecular level so that it cannot attach to cells and cause an infection. Tannins are so good, they actually change the shape of the E. Coli bacteria receptors and alter its cell membrane so that it becomes an unidentified object for the human cells. E. Coli thus becomes yet one more non-infectious item slotted for intestinal expulsion.
This is especially interesting for all of us in Kyiv, where Mors is traditional, popular and available in almost every kiosk and store. Cranberries also happen to be an unofficial national symbol of Ukraine, and the highest quality Mors is still made from cranberries harvested by hand where they grow wild in peat swamps around Ukraine. While you don't necessarily need to invest in the highest quality mors, logically juice with higher concentrations of cranberries (and fewer other additives) will have the greatest effect on your gastro-intestinal and bladder health. Researchers may be hesitant to start promoting wide-scale cranberry consumption as a preventative or curative measure for bacterial infections before further testing is done, but I'm guessing this is one of those times when Ukrainian health-lore is spot on: drink mors, its good for you.
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