Cranberries And Their Health Benefits: Good For Urinary Tract Infections And More!

Cranberries are tiny red fruits that grow on evergreen shrubs throughout the northern hemisphere. Cranberry fruit is very high in the antioxidant vitamin C. It also contains a number of important phytochemicals and nutrients including other antioxidants, B-complex vitamins and minerals. Cranberries are best known as a treatment for urinary tract infections.

Phytochemicals in cranberries known as proanthocyanadins prevent e.coli bacteria from sticking to the walls of the urinary tract and bladder. Studies consistently show that drinking eight ounces of cranberry juice cocktail is effective in stopping the growth of urinary tract infections.

More recent research on cranberry suggests that it may also be effective in preventing bacterial infections in other parts of the body.

For example, a study published in the Journal of the American Dental Association showed that cranberry has the ability to prevent growth of the oral bacteria that causes dental plaque and periodontal disease.

Also, subjects who used a mouthwash that contains cranberry had a reduction in the growth of streptococcus mutans on the surface of their teeth. This is the bacteria that are often responsible for the development of dental caries (cavities).

Cranberry products have also been associated with inhibiting the growth of H. pylori, the bacteria that causes stomach ulcers. This is not only an important finding with respect to the prevention of ulcers, but it may also result in a lowered risk for gastritis, acid reflux disease, and stomach cancer, conditions which are also associated with H. pylori.

The results of these studies imply that people who regularly use cranberry products may have fewer infections. Also, if cranberry is more widely used to prevent bacterial growth, fewer antibiotic-resistant strains will develop in populations that use cranberry regularly. It is believed that the effects of a single serving of cranberry can interfere with bacterial adherence for up to 10 hours, so two daily servings spaced 10-12 hours apart may result in a continual benefit from the ability of cranberry to inhibit bacterial infections.

Cranberry may also be useful in preventing the development of atherosclerosis and heart disease. The flavonoids in cranberries are powerful antioxidants that have been shown to reduce levels of LDL (bad cholesterol) in the blood. Cranberry, therefore, has the potential to play an important role in the fight against heart disease by preventing the adherence of cholesterol to the walls of arteries.

In addition, preliminary results from experiments that have not yet been published show that the antioxidants in cranberries may protect brain cells from free radical damage. This means that cranberries may guard against a range of age-related conditions including loss of memory and problems with coordination and mobility.

The benefits of cranberries can be obtained by eating cranberries, drinking cranberry juice or by taking cranberry extract supplements, which are available in capsule form. Capsules should be standardized to contain cranberry solids or proanthocyanadins, and the recommended dosage depends on the particular product formulation.

Those who prefer drinking cranberry juice should select a product that does not have added sugar, since sugar breeds bacteria, which can counteract the positive effect of the phytochemicals and nutrients in the berries.

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