Health Spotlight: The Cranberry Cure

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The Cranberry Cure

 

 

The cranberry bush (Vaccinium macrocarpon) is a

low-growing evergreen shrub with leathery leaves and

bright-red berries. This member of the heath family

grows in mountains, forests, and damp bogs within the

United States from Alaska to Virginia. However, most

of the commercial berries are produced in

Massachusetts and Wisconsin.

 

Native Americans used cranberries for both food and

medicine. The berries were enjoyed either raw or

sweetened with maple sugar. In addition, they used

them in sauces, breads, and puddings. Cran-berries

were also used in poultices for treating wounds.

Cranberry leaves were typically used for diarrhea and

urinary disorders. The sailors during Colonial days

used cranberries to prevent scurvy.

 

Today the cranberry is available in a variety of

products, such as frozen cranberries, cranberry juice

and juice cocktails, cranberry sauce, and capsules

containing cranberry powder. The most popular form of

cranberries is the sweetened cranberry cocktail that

contains about 30 percent cranberry juice. Apple

cranberry and other cranberry drinks contain only

about 10 percent juice.

 

Cranberries are distinguished by their extremely sour

taste, because of their low sugar and high-acid

content. Cranberries are rich in citric, malic,

quinic, and other acids. They also contain flavonoids,

anthocyanins, ellagic acid, and vitamin C. Because of

their tannin content the berries possess a natural

astringency.

 

Help for Infections

Cranberries have long been considered valuable for

maintaining the health of the urinary tract. The juice

has been widely used for the prevention, treatment,

and symptomatic relief of urinary tract infections.

 

It was commonly believed that cranberry juice was

effective because it acidified the urine. The high

acidity was believed to prevent bacterial growth.

However, recent research supports the notion that

cranberries contain substances that prevent the

adhesion of Escherichia coli and other bacteria to the

lining of the urinary tract. The bacteria adhere to

the urinary tract by way of many fimbriae, hairlike

projections on the surface of the bacteria. This

allows the bacteria to colonize in large numbers and

produce an infection. Recently researchers identified

proanthocyanidins in cranberry juice that inhibit the

E. coli from adhering to the lining.

 

Common Infections

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) pose a serious health

problem affecting millions of Americans every year.

UTIs are more prevalent among women than men, and many

women will develop several UTIs in their lifetime. The

risk of a UTI increases with advancing age and is

greatest among institutionalized older women. In

addition, people with diabetes are at higher risk for

UTIs.

 

Symptoms commonly experienced with a UTI include

painful urination, the need to urinate frequently, a

cloudy urine, and lower back pain. If a UTI is

untreated, more serious complications may develop. If

they occur during a pregnancy, the infection may cause

a preterm delivery.

 

Clinical Studies

A group of 153 elderly women living in a nursing home

experienced on average a 50 percent reduction in the

bacterial load and white blood cell count in their

urine after daily consuming 10 ounces of cranberry

juice cocktail for six months. The elderly women also

had a greater possibility of being free of the

infection than similar women not using the cranberry

juice. Capsules containing cranberry concentrate can

also be effective. Women who took two 400-milligram

capsules of cranberry powder daily or 3 months

experienced a significant decrease in risk of UTIs.

 

Cranberry juice is also effective in reducing urinary

odors in bedridden patients who have urinary

infections and are incontinent. Nursing home personnel

have observed a decrease in urine odor in the

geriatric wards of a nursing home following the

regular drinking of two glasses of cranberry juice by

the patients. In addition, patients complained less

about a burning sensation when they urinated.

 

What About Other Fruits?

The blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum), a close relative

of the cranberry, is also a good source of the

proanthocyanidins that inhibit the colonization of

certain bacteria. On the other hand, orange,

grapefruit, pineapple, guava, and mango juices do not

possess any antiadhesion properties.

 

Other Protective Effects

The cranberry appears to possess other benefits for

human health. Helicobacter pylori is the major cause

of gastric and duodenal ulcers. This bacterium

penetrates the mucous lining of the gastrointestinal

system and adheres to the underlying epithelial layer.

Recently it was found that a cranberry fraction

disabled some strains of Helicobacter pylori so that

they could not stick to the epithelial surface.

Through this mechanism cranberries could help prevent

ulcers. A cranberry mixture also reduces the

stickiness of oral bacteria and may be useful for

delaying the development of dental plaque and gum

disease.

 

Cranberry juice may also prevent the formation of

certain types of kidney stones. A glass or two of

cranberry juice every day for one to two weeks will

increase the acidity of the urine and decrease the

risk of a kidney stone forming. In addition, cranberry

juice does not contain high levels of oxalate, a

substance that can promote the formation of kidney

stones.

 

Protection Against Chronic Disease

Cranberries are rich in polyphenolic antioxidants that

protect against cancer and cardiovascular disease. The

proanthocyanidins and other compounds inhibit the

oxidation of LDL cholesterol, while cranberry powder

has been observed to decrease the LDL cholesterol

levels of animals with elevated blood cholesterol

levels. The proanthocyanidins in cranberries and

blueberries are known to inhibit tumor growth.

 

Safe Dosage

For the prevention or treatment of UTIs a daily glass

of cranberry juice, one to three cups of cranberry

juice cocktail, or 10 to 12 capsules of cranberry

powder are recommended. Generally, there are no side

effects. However, drinking 3 or more liters of

cranberry juice per day can produce diarrhea and other

gastrointestinal effects. Lesser amounts may increase

the frequency of bowel movements. It is important that

a patient with a UTI see their physician.

 

Winston J. Craig, Ph.D., R.D., is a professor of

nutrition at Andrews University, Berrien Springs,

Michigan.

 

Remember: Herbal products and dietary supplements can

have pharmacological effects, may produce adverse

reactions in some people, and could interact with

over-the-counter and prescription medications you may

take. Discuss with your physician your decision to use

any herbal product. Anything mentioned in this article

is not intended to diagnose, prescribe, or treat any

ailment.

 

 

 

 

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