Cranberry
Herbal Remedies and Medicinal Cures for Diseases, Ailments & Illnesses that afflict Humans and Animals
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accept the bitter to get better
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Cranberry
The medicinal herb Cranberry as an alternative herbal remedy for urinary disorders, diabetes - Cranberries are the fruit of a native plant of North America. These red berries are used in foods and in herbal products. American cranberry bush often develops fall colors of yellow, orange, red, and purple. In spring, it bears wide, flat flower clusters. These lacy flowers have an outer ring of large white florets with many smaller white florets in the center. The clusters of rounded fruit that follow turn from green to yellow-orange to brilliant red in the fall and often hang on the plant through the winter.Common Names--cranberry, American cranberry, bog cranberry
Latin Name--Vaccinium macrocarpon Picture of Cranberry berries Picture of Cranberry Bush
What Cranberry Is Used For
Historically, cranberry fruits and leaves were used for a variety of problems, such as wounds, urinary disorders, diarrhea, diabetes, stomach ailments, and liver problems.
Recently, cranberry products have been used in the hope of preventing or treating urinary tract infections or Helicobacter pylori infections that can lead to stomach ulcers, or to prevent dental plaque. Cranberry has also been reported to have antioxidant and anticancer activity. Herbal remedy for urinary disorders.
How Cranberry Is Used
The berries are used to produce beverages and many other food products, as well as dietary supplements in the form of extracts, teas, and capsules or tablets.
What the Science Says about Cranberry
- Some studies testing cranberry products for their ability to prevent urinary tract infections have shown promise. These studies have generally been small in size, and some were not randomized or controlled; therefore, the results are not conclusive.
- Cranberry products have not been adequately tested to see if they can be used to help treat an existing urinary tract infection.
- Research shows that components found in cranberry may prevent bacteria, such as E. coli, from clinging to the cells along the walls of the urinary tract and causing infection. However, the mechanism of action of cranberry is not fully understood.
- NCCAM, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, and the National Institute for Dental and Craniofacial Research are funding studies to understand whether and how cranberry might work to:
- Prevent urinary tract infection
- Prevent the formation of dental plaque
Side Effects and Cautions about Cranberry
- Eating cranberry products in food amounts appears to be safe, but drinking excessive amounts of juice could cause gastrointestinal upset or diarrhea.
- People who think they have a urinary tract infection should see a health care provider for proper diagnosis and treatment. Cranberry products should not be used to treat infection.
- It is important to inform your health care providers about any herb or dietary supplement you are using, including cranberry. This helps to ensure safe and coordinated care.
News About Cranberry
What Are the Benefits of Cranberry Supplements?
- By Lauren Elizabeth
Cranberries can prevent urinary tract infections and boost overall health. Chock-full of antioxidants, the fruit has been used for its medicinal properties for hundreds of years and is a common natural remedy to this day. By choosing a supplement over juice, you can obtain the benefits without the extra sugar, added calories or undesired flavor.
- UTI Prevention
A urinary tract infection occurs when bacteria multiply in your urinary tract and cause cystitis, the inflammation of the bladder. Cranberries are a common home remedy to prevent this condition. They increase the urine acidity to create an inhospitable environment for bacteria such as E. coli that may cause UTIs. Cranberries may also prevent bacteria from adhering to the walls of your urinary tract where they otherwise would grow, multiply and cause infection. Although cranberries may help prevent UTIs, do not use them to replace antibiotics to fight an existing infection.
- Gastric Ulcer Suppression
Cranberries may prevent infection by Helicobacter pylori, the bacteria responsible for stomach ulcers. A study published in the journal "Helicobacter" found that people who consume cranberry juice daily are less likely to test positive for the bacteria. The researchers said that these results are promising due to the widespread prevalence of gastric ulcers as well as the increased frequency of antibiotic resistance.
- Dental Hygiene
Just as cranberries prevent bacteria from clinging to the walls of your urinary tract, they prevent bacteria from adhering to your teeth. Because bacteria like Streptococcus mutans are unable to stick to your teeth, your risk of cavities and tooth decay is reduced. Similarly, cranberries prevent plaque buildup, improving your dental hygiene. While cranberries are no replacement for toothpaste, some researchers are examining how supplementing dental products with cranberries may improve dental health.
- Potential Side Effects
Check with your doctor before adding cranberry supplements to your diet. Some negative side effects such as GI discomfort have been reported. Cranberry supplements may interact with certain medications that prevent blood clotting or are processed by your liver.
Can You Eat Raw Cranberries?
- By Melodie Anne Coffman
Cranberries are bitter-tasting berries that are full of powerful phytochemicals that protect your body from illness. These berries are traditionally sweetened and cooked or sweetened and dried to reduce some of their tartness. You can eat cranberries in their raw state, but the pungent flavor may not be pleasing to your palate.
- Benefits of Cranberries
Once cranberries are processed, beneficial phytochemical compounds are damaged, lessening their benefits to your body. Fresh raw cranberries have higher levels of phytochemicals, specifically phenols, versus their cooked or dried counterparts. Phenols act like antioxidants in your system by neutralizing damaging free radicals. When too many free radicals gather in your system, they attack healthy cells, which increases your risk of cancer and other chronic conditions. The high phytochemical content of raw cranberries helps neutralize harmful free radicals, reducing your risk of certain cancers, including breast cancer, reports The New York Times.
- Urinary Tract Health
Phytochemicals in raw cranberries keep the bacteria E. coli from sticking to the walls of your urinary tract. As many as 90 percent of urinary tract infections are caused by this strain of bacteria, reports The New York Times. Adding fresh cranberries to your diet can help reduce your risk of suffering from a painful urinary tract or bladder infection.
- Health Concerns
Even though you can eat cranberries in their raw state, they may cause some problems in your body. Raw cranberries are highly acidic and can damage the enamel on your teeth. Brush your teeth with fluoride toothpaste about 30 minutes before you eat meals containing raw cranberries. This can help protect your pearly whites from tooth decay and cavities caused by enamel erosion, according to CBS News. If you suffer from heartburn or gastroesophageal reflux disease, known as GERD, high-acid foods can aggravate your esophagus and stomach. You may want to avoid raw cranberries if you frequently suffer from episodes of heartburn to avoid triggering your symptoms.
- Recipe Tips
Since snacking on a bowl of fresh cranberries may not suit your taste buds, find ways to incorporate them into your favorite recipes. Slice raw cranberries in half before you add them to your entree. This makes them easier for you to chew. Mix sliced cranberries with vanilla yogurt at breakfast or add them to a bowl of fresh berries topped with a spoonful of sugar. Toss sliced raw cranberries into a spinach and chicken salad at lunch. At dinner, top a sirloin steak or pork chop with grilled onions, blue cheese crumbles and sliced raw cranberries. The tartness adds a new flavor element to your favorite cut of meat.
Chew on cranberries to fight colon cancer
- (Agencies, The Health Site)
Not just four cups of coffee, as new research suggested this week, just a daily cup-full of the cranberry super fruit can also combat colon cancer. To reach this conclusion, researchers fed cranberry extracts to mice with colon cancer and found that their tumours diminished in size and number. Identifying the therapeutic molecules in the fruit could lead to a better understanding of its anti-cancer potential, they said.
‘Colon cancer may offer a particularly good target for a dietary treatment. Cranberry extracts may also afford protection toward other cancers,’ said Catherine Neto from University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth. Neto and colleagues found that chemicals derived from cranberry extracts could selectively kill off colon tumour cells in laboratory dishes. This is approximately equivalent to a cup a day of cranberries if you were a human instead of a mouse,’
Here you can read more about causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of Colorectal cancer.
‘We have identified several compounds in cranberry extracts over the years that seemed promising, but we’ve always wanted to look at what happens with the compounds in an animal model of cancer,’ Neto noted. ‘Cranberry constituents and metabolites should be bioavailable to the colon as digestion proceeds,’ she added. However, she is not sure someone could get the same benefits from juice which lacks some of the components in the skin of the cranberry. Neto is now looking deeper into the cranberry to see if she can isolate individual components responsible for its anti-cancer properties. The team were set to describe their approach at the national meeting and exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS) in Boston this week.
7 health benefits of cranberries
- (Editorial Team , The Health Site)
Often used during holiday seasons to make drinks, desserts, sauces and pies, cranberries are popular fruits throughout the world, relished by people of all ages. Apart from their unique sweet and sour
Often used during holiday seasons to make drinks, desserts, sauces and pies, cranberries are popular fruits throughout the world, relished by people of all ages. Apart from their unique sweet and sour taste, their nutritional value is what makes them a super food. Here are 7 reasons you should include them in your diet.
1# Improves cardiovascular health: Cranberries contain flavonoids and antioxidants that lower your risk of suffering from atherosclerosis, a condition where the arteries get blocked because of accumulation and deposition of cholesterol and fatty substances. The compounds found in cranberry juice will increase the formation of blood platelets and prevent oxidation of LDL cholesterol. Cranberries can also delay the development of dangerous heart-related diseases
2# Helps you lose weight: Cranberries have a high fibre content that will make you feel full for a very long period of time. They are low in calories and have quite an emulsifying effect on fats that get deposited on the walls of the arteries. This increases the process of fat loss.
3# Fights ageing: Another wonderful health benefit of cranberries is their ability to fight ageing. They contain antioxidants, vitamin B3, B5 and C, which protect cell damage caused due to natural factors. They fight free radicals and slow down the process of ageing. Whether it is fine lines, wrinkles and spots or pigmentation, cranberries can effectively fight all skin ageing problems.
4# Promotes dental health: Cranberries are reliable when it comes to oral health. They prevent tooth decay and help fight bad breath. They contain proanthocyanidins that prevent the growth of bacteria on your teeth and prevent the development of cavities.
5# Fights infections: Cranberry juice can be used effectively to fight cold, flu and several other common infections. It also helps relieve a sore throat. Cranberries, according to several researchers, can protect the body from brain-related diseases or neurological damage. Ear infections among children or diseases related to the respiratory tract can also be healed with the help of cranberries.
6# Promotes hair growth: Cranberries are great for hair growth. Cranberry juice contains vitamin C and A, which not only helps hair growth but also makes them soft, smooth and shiny. Cranberry juice, when consumed daily, can treat damaged hair, alopecia and baldness.
7# Ideal for your skin: Cranberries have a large number of skin benefits to offer. They contain antioxidants like resveratrol that help reduce the size of pimples. Not just that, cranberries can brighten up your skin and give you a cleaner and fresher look instantly. Simply mix some cranberry juice, orange peel powder with honey to make a thick mixture. Apply this mixture this thrice a week for healthy, glowing skin. Cranberries are rich in vitamin C that helps production of collagen, giving firmness to the skin. They also help improve skin tone by carrying oxygen and other nutrients to the skin.
Ask Well: Do Cranberries Offer Health Benefits?
- Source:http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/11/25/ask-well-do-cranberries-offer-any-health-benefits/?_r=0
- By Roni Caryn Rabin
Does cranberry juice have health benefits?
Cranberry juice is a popular folk remedy for staving off urinary tract infections and the berries contain chemical compounds with potentially powerful antibacterial properties. But clinical trials that have tested cranberry products have yielded mixed results, possibly because studies tested juices and supplements with varying amounts of active ingredients. Many trials also had high dropout rates.
The most recent Cochrane review on cranberries, from 2012, analyzed two dozen trials involving 4,473 participants and concluded that cranberries are no more effective for preventing U.T.I.s than placebos. But the review also suggested that cranberry products may reduce symptomatic infections among women with recurrent U.T.I.s.
Dr. William E. Cayley, a family medicine professor at the University of Wisconsin who wrote a synopsis of the Cochrane evidence in American Family Physician, said cranberry products should not be recommended to prevent U.T.I.s, but, “If someone says they want to try drinking it, I’m not going to tell them, ‘Don’t do it.’”
Cranberries contain chemical compounds called proanthocyanidins that can prevent E. coli bacteria from sticking to the bladder walls, “preventing the first step in the infection process,” said Amy Howell, an associate research scientist at the Marucci Center for Blueberry and Cranberry Research and Extension at Rutgers University. Dr. Howell explained that if bacteria cannot stick to a cell, they cannot multiply and produce toxins.
Proanthocyanidins are active in other sites in the body as well, and studies suggest cranberries may help reduce tooth decay, may suppress H. pylori infections, a cause of ulcers, and may lower the risk of atherosclerosis by inhibiting platelet aggregation and reducing cholesterol.
Most cranberry juices you will find in grocery stores contain added sweeteners or are mixed with sweeter juices. To get enough of the active cranberry ingredients, choose a drink with at least 25 percent pure cranberry juice, Dr. Howell said, and drink eight to 10 ounces a day.
Cherry-pick your fruit: Cranberry protects body from harmful bacteria
- (IANS, Toronto)
Cranberry extract has the potential to interrupt communication between harmful bacteria thus stopping spread of infections and paving way to developing alternative approaches in controlling infections, a research has found.
“Cranberry PACs interrupt the ability for bacteria to communicate with each other, spread and become virulent -- a process known as quorum sensing,” INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier’s Professor-investigator Eric Deziel said.
Cranberries are a potent source of antioxidants and have unique anti-adhesive properties which help protect the body from harmful bacteria. This unique anti-adhesive activity is primarily due to a natural compound in the fruit called proanthocyanidins (PACs).
PACs can aid in controlling the virulence or spread of potentially dangerous bacterial infections around the world, the researchers said. “The cranberry extract successfully interferes with the chain of events associated with the spread and severity of chronic bacterial infections,” said Deziel from the research centre in Quebec, Canada.
In the study, by feeding cranberry extract to fruit flies -- a commonly used model for studying human infections -- the reseachers discovered that the fruit provided flies protection from bacterial infection. The cranberry-fed flies lived longer than their cranberry-free counterparts.
In essence, the cranberry extract reduced the severity of the bacterial infection. “This means that cranberries could be part of the arsenal used to manage infections and potentially minimise the dependence on antibiotics for the global public,” said Professor Nathalie Tufenkji of McGill University in Canada.
The results which elaborated on what this might mean for humans, as opposed to flies, were published in Scientific Reports.
Cranberries and Health '
- By Brobson Lutz M.D.
More than just a side dish
Those of us of a certain age remember the Great Cranberry Scare of 1959. Just weeks before Thanksgiving that year, a government official announced that cranberries from the Northwest were contaminated with a cancer causing pesticide. Food panic commenced. Grocery stores removed both fresh and canned cranberries from their shelves.
“Well, I don’t care what some secretary in Washington says, we’re having cranberry sauce at my house Thanksgiving. Mr. London at the A&P saved me two cans,” proclaimed Clio Flanagan, a revered Athens, Alabama, seventh grade science teacher, in response to this warning. The secretary who had her upset was Arthur Flemming, Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare, and one of the most important cabinet members in the Eisenhower administration. Even Mamie Eisenhower drank the Kool-Aid and served applesauce with non-pardoned turkey that Thanksgiving.
My teacher’s response to what has since been dubbed our nation’s first mass chemical-related food scare is etched in my memory. First of all, I adored Mrs. Flanagan. She wasn’t afraid of bugs and snakes. She could recite the periodic table from memory. Her knowledge of chemicals was also practical, as she had the blackest hair in town and a chemical sensing nose that could detect mere traces of any Avon product. She would announce on the first day of school each year that she was allergic to all Avon products and ban any student from her classes who dared come to school wearing anything Avon.
Secretary Flemming thought he was protecting us from a chemical villain called aminotriazole, a very effective herbicide used to kill bog weeds that chocked out cranberry production. Rats fed an aminotriazole-laced diet developed thyroid cancer, thus the alarm. The tainted cranberries contained only trace amounts of this chemical. As additional information became available, Mrs. Flanagan’s decision to proceed with cranberry sauce was vindicated. A person would need to consume some “15,000 pounds of cranberries every day for several years to get cancer” according to a later press account of the event. Mrs. Flanagan inoculated me with a healthy dose of skepticism that has served me well to this day.
The public panic in 1959 was short lived. Today, cranberries are the darling of health food followers, especially in matters of the bladder. Cranberries are touted as a preventive and even as a treatment for urinary tract infections. The overwhelming majority of urinary tract infections are caused when E. coli bacteria from the colon go wandering and attach to the epithelial cell layer in the urinary tract. They climb right up into the bladder and beyond. Once attached, these guileful bacteria construct a microbial mucosal matrix called a biofilm.
The biofilm fixes the individual bacteria to each other and adheres the group to the surface of cells in the urinary tract.
Cranberries contain a unique plant chemical compound that disrupts infection-forming biofilm. Like millions of tiny Tonya Hardings, this chemical bashes bacterial fimbriae – hair-like apendages that allow attachment. Without the ability to attach to the cells lining the urinary tract, bacteria cannot bind together to create a biofilm and are washed away by a tepid flow of urine. Cranberry products do decrease the frequency of urinary tract infections in women and children, according to a few well designed peer reviewed studies. Pure cranberry juice actually outperformed cranberry extract pills in one study.
There may be more to cranberries than just urinary health. The primary culprit causing tooth plaque and subsequent decay is a bacterium called Streptococcus mutans. Recent research showed that a subtye of polyphenol unique to the cranberry also disrupts the ability of these oral bacteria to bind together, preventing the formation of plaque. No plaque means no colonies of bacteria producing acid forming chemicals that initiate tooth decay. Researchers are looking into harnessing the power of these plaque pillaging chemicals as protective chemical additives to toothpaste and mouth wash.
Cranberry lore confirmed by some preliminary research suggests that cranberry products have other cardiovascular, intestinal and immunological benefits. The added sugar needed to make cranberry juice and sauce palpable presents a caloric problem, but Thanksgiving isn’t a day to fret about calories.
“The bioactives in cranberry juice, dried cranberries and a variety of other cranberry sources have been shown to promote an array of beneficial health effects,” said a scientist connected to a cranberry producers’ trade group. “Given the complex nature and diversity of compounds found in berry fruits and how they interact with each other, I believe we’ve only scratched the surface when it comes to identifying the potential power of the cranberry.”
Back to the great cranberry cancer panic. It was the first nationwide scare involving a chemical additive to food. Its media coverage temporarily paralyzed the cranberry industry.
Subsequent chemical food scares included cyclamate and saccharine sweeteners, nitrites and DES in meats, red dye Number 2, Alar on apples and benzene in bottled water. But no food scare hit the American public with the intensity of that Category 5 cranberry storm in 1959.
“During the height of the alarm a housewife is said to have returned several cans of cranberry sauce to her local market – exchanging them for three cartons of cigarettes,” according to an editorial in the New England Journal of Medicine. “In the long run people will not believe what they wish not to believe, and vice versa, illustrating one of the difficulties that the educational process encounters.”
Acknowledgments: Joel Hitchcock Tilton of Paradigm Gardens helped research this column.
- Cranberries and the Native American connection
Cranberries are an indigenous North American fruit. They grow on small vine-like shrubs that thrive in cold water bogs and marshes. Louisiana wetlands, perfect for crawfish, are too warm for cranberries. Most cranberries, whether fresh or in the can, consumed in Louisiana come from commercial growers in Massachusetts, Oregon, Washington, New Jersey and Wisconsin. The berry that partners so well with Thanksgiving turkey and dressing begins as a pink flower in spring transforming into a red berry by late summer.
American Indian tribes living in areas conducive to cranberry bogs harvested the berries as an important food source. The tart and acidic berries are an excellent course of Vitamin C that prevents scurvy. The American natives ate cranberries raw and dried them for preservation purposes. They pounded dried cranberries, venison and animal fat into a paste that was America’s first energy bar.
Every schoolchild learns that the Native Americans helped the Pilgrims with their first Thanksgiving. Supposedly cranberries were a part of that first feast. Early European settlers tinkered with these “sour berries” adding honey or sugar, which evolved to what we now know as canned cranberry sauce.
This diminutive crimson fruit has a long history of medicinal lore dating back to numerous Indian tribes, including Tonto’s Potawatomi nation. The Indian medicine men believed cranberries could protect or cure a multitude of ailments including tumors, ulcers, dysentery, scurvy, dropsy and urinary tract infections.
As is often the case in passed down lore, kernels of truth exist. Like limes, cranberries have a high Vitamin C content. Dried cranberry consumption during winter months helped protect Native Americans from scurvy. And New England ship captains, without access to lime trees, sailed with barrels of dried cranberries doling out a daily handful to sailors as a North American scurvy preventive.
How to reduce the use of antibiotics using cranberries
- By Jack Peat
Leading experts on infectious disease and urinary tract infections (UTIs) have gatherered in London to discuss the alarming state of antibiotic resistance, and to present findings from a landmark study that conclusively shows that cranberries can be a nutritional approach to reducing symptomatic UTIs, and as a result, may be a useful strategy to decrease worldwide use of antibiotics.
According to the study, recently published by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, drinking an 240ml glass of cranberry juice a day reduces symptomatic UTIs by nearly 40 percent in women with recurrent UTIs – reducing the burden of UTIs and reducing the antibiotic use associated with treating recurrent UTIs.
“Currently the primary approach to reducing symptomatic events of UTI is the use of chronic antibiotics for suppression, an approach associated with side effects and development of antibiotic resistance. This study shows that consuming one 240ml glass of cranberry juice a day reduces the number of times women suffer from repeat episodes of symptomatic UTI and avoids chronic suppressive antibiotics,” said Dr. Kalpana Gupta, infectious disease specialist and Professor of Medicine at Boston University’s School of Medicine.
An author on the study and panelist at today’s session, Dr. Gupta believes that cranberries can help to reduce the worldwide use of antibiotics and significantly improve the quality of life for women who suffer from recurrent UTI symptoms.
- Single Largest Clinical Trial on Cranberries of its Kind
The 24-week study of 373 women, conducted by researchers at Boston University, Biofortis Innovation Services (a division of Merieux Nutrisciences) and 18 clinical sites throughout the US and France is the largest clinical trial of its kind examining the effects of cranberry juice consumption on UTIs. This trial adds to more than 50 years of cranberry research and supports the cranberry’s ability to support urinary tract health and reduce symptomatic UTIs among chronic UTI sufferers.
Researchers set out to find whether recurrent (or repeat) UTI sufferers could be protected from repeat infections by drinking cranberry juice. Participants were all healthy women, with an average age of 40, who had experienced at least two UTIs within the past year. During the study, participants were randomly chosen to drink a daily dose of 240ml of either cranberry juice or a “placebo” beverage without cranberries.
The rate of UTIs decreased significantly among the cranberry drinkers, with just 39 diagnoses during the six-month study compared with 67 in the placebo group.
Compared to some other studies, this trial had greater statistical power to detect differences than others due to its larger sample, use of incidence density to account for the tendency of clinical UTIs to cluster in time within an individual, a high average level of compliance (98%), and a comparatively large percentage of subjects in each group completing the treatment period (86%).
- What’s in a Symptom?
Women with symptomatic UTIs experience all the discomforts of a UTI, such as a strong, persistent urge to urinate or a burning sensation when urinating, but may or may not test positive for a bacterial infection upon a consult with a physician. In many instances, women are treated with antibiotics for symptom relief whether bacteria is found or not. According to Gupta, the key to avoiding the situation altogether may very well lie with the cranberry.
“The key to cranberry’s benefit is consuming a glass daily to help avoid the infection altogether,” said Gupta. “Most people wait to drink cranberry juice until they have a UTI, but once the symptoms start they’ll likely need a course of antibiotics.”
- The Correlation between UTIs and Antibiotic Resistance
UTIs are among the most common bacterial infections in women worldwide. Up to 60 percent of all women suffer a UTI in their lifetime, and up to 25 percent experience a recurrence within six months. Some 150 million UTIs occur annually worldwide, according to the American Urological Association, resulting in $6 billion in annual healthcare costs.
Antibiotics are usually the first line of treatment for urinary tract infections, and women who have frequent UTIs may be prescribed low dose antibiotics. Unfortunately, chronic overuse of these drugs has increased antibiotic resistance at an alarming rate globally. So much in fact, that the WHO cites a 50% resistance rate to one of the most widely used antibiotics to treat UTIs.
- How Cranberries Work
Luckily, cranberries contain a unique combination of compounds including Type-A PACs (or proanthocyanidins), that prevent bacteria from sticking and causing infection. In addition to PACs, new studies have revealed a new class of compounds, xyloglucan oligosaccharides, which have similar antibacterial properties against E. coli as PACs. This means there are multiple, unique elements within cranberries working hard for your health.
These unique compounds can be found in a variety of products, including cranberry juice cocktail, 100% cranberry juice, light cranberry juice, dried cranberries and cranberry extract, however most of the research surrounding cranberries and UTIs has been conducted using juice.
- Cranberries, a Natural Approach to Better Health
The suggestion that a nutritional approach like cranberry juice could reduce antibiotic use is welcome news given the alarming challenge it presents to public health, one that the WHO refers to as one of the greatest challenges to public health today, and that the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer said could become a threat “greater than cancer”.
According to Gupta, those who suffer from UTIs can feel confident that this nutritional approach is a potential solution – further validating more than 50 years of well-documented cranberry research.
Find more information on the study and the health benefits of cranberries at www.cranberryhealth.com
Cranberry juice can boost heart health
- By Dennis O’Brien (Agricultural Research Service)
Drinking two glasses of cranberry juice a day can lead to significant heart health benefits, according to a study led by Janet Novotny, an Agricultural Research Service physiologist at the Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center in Beltsville, Maryland.
Novotny gave 56 people either low-calorie cranberry juice or a similar-tasting placebo twice a day for eight weeks and found that the juice lowered several risk factors for cardiovascular disease, diabetes and stroke. The 30 women and 26 men were given 8-ounce servings at breakfast and dinner in a double-blind study in which they ate only foods provided as part of the study.
The cranberry juice was sweetened with sucralose and had the same juice content (27 percent) and nutrients as most sugar-sweetened cranberry juice available in stores. The placebo was a flavor-matched, calorie-matched, artificially colored beverage. The research was funded by Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc. Ocean Spray provided the juice, but was not involved in conducting the study or analyzing the results.
After 8 weeks, volunteers given the juice had lower levels of five of 22 indicators of cardiometabolic risk in their blood, compared with volunteers given the placebo. The differences could be considered “a notable result,” Novotny says. Cardiometabolic risk is the combined risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and stroke, which together causes more deaths in the developed world than anything else. CVD alone causes 930,000 deaths in the United States each year. Risks of developing CVD, diabetes and stroke can be modified with diet and exercise.
Previous studies have shown that cranberries are rich in the types of polyphenols associated with a reduced risk of heart disease, diabetes and stroke. But Novotny’s study is the first to show that cranberries confer such health benefits in a controlled-diet, double-blind clinical trial, which is considered the gold standard in health and medical research.
Top 6 benefits of consuming cranberries
- By Nupur Jha
Cranberry is known to be a super food. They provide many health benefits and are considered to be one of the world's healthiest foods. Here are some amazing health boosting properties of cranberries.
1. It's packed with antioxidants
Cranberries are packed with anti-oxidants and help in preventing the risk of cancer. A research conducted on the cancer combating ability of cranberry showed that this fruit helped in inhibiting the progress of different types of cancers, such as breast cancer, ovarian cancer, colon cancer, liver and prostate cancer as well. The fruit also contains phytochemicals, which help in enhancing immunity, protecting the DNA and shielding the body from oxidation.
2. Battles urinary tract infections
Cranberries are found to battle urinary tract infections (UTIs). The presence of proanthocyanidins in cranberries aid in depleting the bonding of various harmful bacteria on the wall of the urinal tract. Proanthocyanidins are a type of flavonoids. The American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology published a study in February 2016, stating that the consumption of cranberry capsules is more beneficial than the juice in order to curb UTIs.
3. Boosts fertility
If you are planning to conceive and want to make sure your fertility is robust, consume cranberries. It aids in cleaning your kidneys, protects you from UTIs and hence, raises your chances of conceiving faster while increasing the body's fertility rate.
4. Improves heart health
Cranberries contain a compound called polyphenols, which are likely to help in pepping-up the heart health by reducing the blood pressure and accumulation of blood platelets. The inflammatory mechanism of this fruit helps in deducting the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD).
5. Perks up oral health
According to a research conducted by the Center for Oral Biology and Eastman Department of Dentistry at the University of Rochester Medical Center in November 2005, cranberries are likely to prevent bacteria from sticking to the teeth and protect it, which is similar to the mechanism of guarding the urinary tract.
6. Triggers weight loss
A report by Canadian Cardiovascular Congresscame to the conclusion that cranberry juice triggers significant weight loss and even reduces the body mass index (BMI). This research was conducted to study the impact of cranberry juice on the cholesterol rate, but major deductions were observed in the weight and BMI of the partakers.
Apart from detoxifying the body, cranberries also replenish nutritional benefits by providing you with vitamin C in abundance accompanied by minute quantities of vitamin K and E along with manganese and fibre.
How to Eat Your Way to a Healthier, Happier Vagina
- By Abiola Abrams
What would your vagina say if she could talk? Is she a happy, healthy yoni? A goddess garden of sacral chakra love? Or is she a neglected place “down there” that you pretty much ignore? Let’s get into it, ladies, pun intended.
So fresh and so clean is a glorious start, but nutrition also can play a role in your vaginal health. Yoni love is body love, and of course body love is part of our overall self-love. Of course, nothing here is meant to treat, diagnose or cure any illness or medical condition. Check with your own physician to decide what is right for you.
Here’s what to eat and drink for a happy, healthy yoniliciouos vagina today!
- Water
A happy vagina is one that is well-lubricated. The greatest source of lubrication in our bodies is, of course, water. Just like you water your garden, you must water your own personal lotus flower. Drink 8-10 glasses of water per day, just like your doctor and your mama taught you. If you are experiencing vaginal dryness, an increase of your water intake could work wonders. Drink up, gorgeous!
- Cranberry Juice
Mother Nature really gave us all we need for optimal living on this planet. To have an optimal vagina, do include pure cranberry juice as a part of your lifestyle. Every goddess knows that a sip a day could keep the urinary tract infections away. Well, you don’t have to drink the cran daily, but you should have some in the cupboard. Better yet, WebMD suggests cranberry capsules are far more potent for preventing UTIs than juice. According to the site, “The active ingredient in cranberries -- A-type proanthocyanidins -- is effective against UTI-causing bacteria.”
- Pineapples
You know that what we eat affects the way that our bodies smell and um, taste, right? In other words, onions and garlic may not be the right move before a romantic weekend getaway. So what should you eat for a happy secret garden? Everything will be coming up roses if you indulge in pineapple therapy. That’s right. Pineapples will have you emitting a fragrant bouquet. Pineapples, like other fruits including strawberries, apples, watermelon, are high in sugar and will have you tasting a bit more well, sugary.
- Flaxseeds
Having healthy fats in your diet is important in our vulva-licious health plan. Flaxseeds are considered to be one of the richest sources of a plant-based omega-3 fatty acids. (Note that your health food store may also list them as linseeds.) According to noted natural health guru Dr. Susun Weed, women seeking a well lubricated yoni should try two to three tablespoons of freshly ground flaxseeds daily for a “noticeable difference in a few weeks!” She also recommends that “as part of your love play, [you should] chew on a small piece of dong quai root.”
- Kefir
Kefir, yogurt, or any kind of probiotics should be a key part of your healthy vagina diet. A healthy yoni has slightly acidic pH levels. This can be helped by consuming yogurt or kefir that contains live and active cultures. That’s the key! Be sure that you’re not just consuming a sugared down dessert if you’re taking it in for health purposes. Fermented food like kimchi and sauerkraut are also healthy probiotic options.
- Raspberry Tea
Herbalists tout the benefits of raspberries and raspberry leaf tea for women’s health. This fruit and the leaves are rich in vitamins B1, B3 and E, may have a wealth of antioxidants, and may be quite the tonic for women's reproductive systems. Women have used raspberry tea for heavy and painful periods, morning sickness during pregnancy, and comfort during delivery.
- Sweet Potatoes
Yes, the Thanksgiving special is an important part of our happy vagina diet! Sweet potatoes are a great source of vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene. Vitamin A is widely acknowledged as being beneficial for healthy skin overall. But when it comes to our uterine walls, sweet potatoes may have an added benefit. The American Nutrition Association says that Vitamin A may be a natural Viagra. Yes, Vitamin A is known for regulating our sex hormones. In addition, eating more sweet potatoes may have a positive effect on your vaginal and uterine walls. No word on if Aunt Pattie’s Sweet Potato Pie will help!
Boost your immune system with cranberry
- Source:http://www.thestatesman.com/news/life-style/boost-your-immune-system-with-cranberry/158148.html
- (The States Men)
Cranberry juice, dried cranberries and cranberry extracts possess many health benefits, and can boost the body's immune system and cure urinary tract infections, according to researchers.
"It has been established that cranberries rank high among the berry fruits that are rich in health-promoting polyphenols (antioxidant)," said Jeffrey Blumberg, researcher at the University in Boston, in a study published in the journal Advances in Nutrition.
"The bioactives in cranberry juice, dried cranberries and a variety of other cranberry sources have been shown to promote an array of beneficial health effects," Blumberg added.
The study revealed that cranberry can protect the gut microbiota -- a complex community of microorganisms that live in the digestive tracts of humans and other animals -- and provide antioxidant and anti-inflammatory functions that benefit the cardiovascular system, metabolism and immune function. It can strengthen the gut defence system and protect against infection, the study said.
The study explained the effect of cranberry products on cardiovascular health and glucose management, and links between cranberry products and blood pressure, blood flow and blood lipids.
The low-calorie cranberry juice and unsweetened dried cranberries can help people with type 2 diabetes, according to the study. Benefits for heart health and diabetes management have been attributed to the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of the polyphenols in cranberries, the study stated.
Scientists agree that cranberry benefits may extend to the gut, heart, immune system and brain
- (Pollock Communications)
Investigations show that unique compounds in cranberry juice, dried cranberries and various cranberry extracts hold great potential for the entire body
CARVER, Mass., July 19, 2016 - While decades of cranberry research has found that regular consumption of cranberry products promotes urinary tract health, leading scientists studying the bioactive components of fruits and other foods reported that cranberries possess whole body health benefits. In a July 2016 Advances in Nutrition supplement, Impact of Cranberries on Gut Microbiota and Cardiometabolic Health: Proceedings of the Cranberry Health Research Conference 2015, a team of international researchers reviewed the complex, synergistic actions of compounds that are uniquely cranberry. Their discussion led them to conclude that this berry may be more than just a tart and tangy fruit.
"It has been established that cranberries rank high among the berry fruits that are rich in health-promoting polyphenols," notes lead author, Jeffrey Blumberg, PhD, of the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston, MA. "But now, recent investigations have shown that the cranberry polyphenols may interact with other bioactive compounds in cranberries that could protect the gut microbiota, and provide antioxidant and anti-inflammatory functions that benefit the cardiovascular system, metabolism and immune function."
Recognition of the important role gut microorganisms play in human health has gained attention of scientists, reaching all the way up to the White House with the National Microbiome Initiative. Emerging evidence has found that the gut microbiome may impact the health of the immune system and brain, as well as how the body balances energy and uses carbohydrates and fat. Preliminary investigations with cranberries, some of which were performed in animal models, have revealed that cranberry bioactives show promise in helping to strengthen the gut defense system and protect against infection.
The effect of cranberry products on cardiovascular health and glucose management was also explained in the review. Authors of the paper described promising links between cranberry products and blood pressure, blood flow and blood lipids. One study identified a potential benefit for glucose management with low-calorie cranberry juice and unsweetened dried cranberries for people living with type 2 diabetes. Benefits for heart health and diabetes management have been attributed to the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of the polyphenols in cranberries.
Given the wide range of ways to consume cranberries - juice, fresh, sauce, dried, or as an extract in beverages or supplements - additional human studies will help determine all the ways that cranberries may influence health. The scientific community and the cranberry industry agree - the impressive potential that cranberry bioactives may have on public health is worthy of further exploration.
"The bioactives in cranberry juice, dried cranberries and a variety of other cranberry sources have been shown to promote an array of beneficial health effects," explains Dr. Blumberg. "Given the complex nature and diversity of compounds found in berry fruits and how they interact with each other, I believe we have only scratched the surface when it comes to identifying the potential power of the cranberry."
The Berry Superhero: 10 Amazing Benefits Of Cranberry Juice
- By Vivian KELLY
When we think cranberry juice most of us automatically think urinary tract infections (UTIs). Glam, we know, but, you'll be surprised to know what else this super drink can do. From protecting your heart to aiding digestion and helping you lose weight here are 10 amazing benefits of cranberry juice you oughta know ...
Cranberries are water harvested gems that grow mainly in the hills of North America where pilgrims and Native Americans used them for hundreds of years, for both their taste, colour and amazing medicinal properties.
The many and varied health benefits of cranberry juice range from relief of urinary tract infections, respiratory disorders and even cancer. Cranberries are also incredibly versatile in cooking and there are lots of ways you can include them in your diet.
Here are some easy ways to up your intake:
- • Drink 100% pure cranberry juice
- • Eat dried cranberries as a midday snack or on the go
- • Add a handful of frozen cranberries to your smoothie
- • Add them to your morning cereal or porridge
- • Cranberries make a great pairing with Turkey but don't be afraid to pair it with chicken and pork too!
- • Make cranberries muffins or oatmeal cranberry cookies! Yum.
1. Prevents and relieves urinary tract infections
Having pain or discomfort when passing urine? You may have a urinary tract infection (UTI).
In-house nutritionist at Lifesum, Lovisa Nilsson says, "Urinary tract infections occur when the existence of certain micro-organisms in the urine tract exceed the normal amount." E. Coli causes 80% of urine infections which cranberry juice is thought to help ward off. But does it really help?
"Cranberry juice contains proanthocyanidins which has been shown to help stop bacteria from binding itself to the bladder walls.This means that the bacteria cannot multiply further in the bladder and flushes them out of the body. Cranberry juice also makes urine more acidic, creating an unsuitable environment for bacteria to thrive".
Drink up, but do be careful how much you consume - cranberry juice is known to have high sugar content!
2. Cardiovascular health
Fill up those glasses, ladies. The flavanoids in cranberries can help lower the risk of heart problems and help boost your heart health.
Lovisa says, "The flavanoids in cranberry juice can decrease the chances of developing atherosclerosis, which is a condition that restricts the arteries with the accumulation of plaques which causes lack of oxygen rich blood flow which can lead to heart attack or stroke.
Cranberries have also shown to help boost cholesterol. A study conducted by the American Chemical Society found that drinking three glasses of cranberry juice a day significantly raised levels of 'good cholesterol' by up to 121 percent.
3. Prevents tooth decay
When we think of cranberry juice and our teeth, we think about the acidity, which we know can have an effect our enamel. But don't be so quick to judge, cranberry juice can actually have a surprisingly positive effect on your oral health too.
Lovisa says, "Just as proanthocyanidins (PACs) help prevent urinary tract infections by inhibiting bacteria growth, it can do the same for teeth and prevents the decay of teeth due to cavities. But again (and this is important) look out for the sugar content before you start downing the stuff.
To get the most out of it's benefits we recommend drinking it in its most natural form. Try Rabenhort's 100 percent pure cranberry juice from North-America. This one's not from concentrate!
4. Aids weight loss
Often we think as soon as we ditch the Diet Coke and start drinking fruit juices we're making healthier choices. But the sugar content in store-bought juice can often ruin your diet.
Lovisa says cranberries are ideal as a juice because they're less sweet than other fruits so finding a cranberry juice that doesn't contain any added sugars makes a fantastic substitute for soda or other sweeter juices.
Our recommendation? Enjoy a glass first thing in the morning before you start your day. "It's a perfect way to start your day with an antioxidant boost and fewer calories," says Lovisa. And it gives you time to wash away the extra acidity left on your teeth so you can enjoy it's benefits to the fullest.
5. Prevents cancer
When it comes to cancer prevention taking advantage of cranberries' superpowers isn't a bad idea.
Lovisa says, "The proanthocyanidins in cranberry juice have been shown to inhibit the growth of various cancer cells. Studies have also shown that flavanoids reduce the risk of cancer too, which cranberry is rich in."
A study at Cornell University found that cranberry extract killed off cancer cells within HOURS when tested on human breast cancer cells. If that's not a reason to eat more berries, we don't know what is.
6. Aids digestion
"Cranberries are rich in fibre, helping the digestive system function smoothly leading to a healthy and happy stomach. But to make sure that you can enjoy these benefits you're going to have to eat the berries whole or as part of a smoothie," says Lovisa.
We've just the recipe for you. Herbalife Consultant Nutritional Therapist, Miguel Toribio-Mateas has put together his fave gut loving drink below. The delicious juice is made with cranberries, apples and ginger juice making it super nutritious and a super thrill to sip on.
With your juicer to hand just take 2 medium green apples (unpeeled), 1 slice fresh pineapple, 10 fresh cranberries, 1/2 inch ginger, 1/4 fresh lime (unwaxed and unpeeled) and juice away! It's the perfect start to the day.
7. Immunity booster
A new study from the University of Florida found that people who drank a glass of cranberry juice daily experienced fewer colds and flu compared to those who took a placebo drink.
OK so maybe it can't get rid of it but evidence has shown that cranberry juice can help you get through a cold and flu much smoother than without.
All thanks to polyphenols. These antioxidants protect our bodies against free radicals, but cranberries are known to have a powerhouse of antioxidants compared to other fruits which makes it a great treatment for aiding a cold.
8. Vitamin C
One of the main antioxidants in cranberry juice are its high levels of vitamin C. Apart from neutralising free radicals, vitamin C is vital for immunity, mood and collagen production. We can't get enough!
9. Healthy pregnancy
Because of the high levels of vitamin C cranberry juice is recommended for various conditions. The University Of Maryland suggests that taking vitamin C along with vitamin E may help prevent pre-eclampsia, a condition associated with high blood pressure and increased protein in a pregnant woman's urine which can cause premature birth.
10. It's versatile
Cranberry juice isn't just good to drink alone, there are loads of different ways to use it. Make a tart holiday cocktail, a delicious morning smoothie or use it to make homemade cranberry sauce alongside your turkey this Christmas! Cheers, ladies!
5 health benefits of fresh cranberries
- By Robin Shreeves
- How healthy are all the cranberries you’ll be eating during the holiday season? You’ll like the answer.
We tend to eat a lot of treats during the holidays, but there's one food that's extra popular this time of year that's actually good for you. Behold five health benefits of the mighty cranberry.
- Antioxidant powerhouse
This disease-fighting fruit is one of the highest ranking, regularly consumed foods for antioxidant content per serving, according to the Cranberry Marketing Committee. Antioxidants protect cells from the damage that oxidative stress and free radicals can have on them. That damage can lead to serious conditions like cancer and heart disease.
Some of the antioxidants found in cranberries include anthocyanins, ellagic acid, quercetin, resveratrol, selenium, and vitamins A, C and E.
- Low-calorie flavor booster
One cup of fresh cranberries contains 46 calories, according to the USDA. If you like them raw, they’re a great low-calorie snack — but their tart flavor makes them an acquired taste. Use them in cooking and baking to add a pop of flavor while not adding a lot of calories, as in
- • Hazelnut-Cranberry Stuffing
- • Orange-Cranberry Muffins with Pecans
- • Apple Cranberry Sauce
- • Cranberry Bread
- • Cranberry Infused Vodka
- Urinary tract infection preventer
Cranberries and cranberry juice have long been associated with preventing UTIs, and scientists are beginning to understand why. There’s a substance in cranberries that prevents “infection-causing bacteria from sticking to the urinary tract walls,” according to WebMD.
It’s important to note that research shows that while cranberries may help prevent UTIs, the consumption of fresh cranberries or cranberry juice does not treat a UTI once it has started.
- High in fiber
One cup of cranberries contains 4.6 grams of dietary fiber. The Mayo Clinic says fiber maintains bowel health, lowers cholesterol, and helps control blood sugar. Foods high in fiber can also help control weight because they make you feel fuller for a longer period of time.
- Full of vitamins and minerals
One cup of cranberries contains 24 percent of the recommended daily value of vitamin C and 7 percent of the recommended daily values of vitamins K and E, according to Self Nutrition Data. It’s also a good source of the mineral manganese, containing 20 percent of the recommended daily value.
Keep in mind that these benefits are for fresh cranberries, not dried cranberries. While dried cranberries retain many of these benefits, most commercially dried cranberries contain added sugar to make them more palatable. One-quarter cup of Craisins dried cranberries contains 130 calories and 29 grams of sugar (about the equivalent of 7 teaspoons of table sugar).
The Benefits Of Cranberry Juice: 2 Cups A Day May Lower Heart Disease Risk
- Source:http://www.medicaldaily.com/benefits-cranberry-juice-2-cups-day-may-lower-heart-disease-risk-356800
- By Samantha Olson
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, killing an estimated 610,000 people each year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. Perhaps these numbers would be lower if people drank more cranberry juice — or at least that's what new research presented at the Cranberry Health Research Conference in Wisconsin on Monday suggested. The Cranberry Institute funded the study.
According to the National Institutes of Health, cranberries are rich in an antioxidant compound, called polyphenols that have been of great interest to researchers in the last 15 years. Of all the antioxidants, polyphenols show the greatest promise to not only help improve circulation, but to also improve kidney function, hormone delivery, and waste filtration. And as a plant-based nutrient (phytonutrient), cranberries could serve as a natural way to prevent poor heart health.
"Cranberry juice is a rich source of phytonutrients,” said the study’s lead author Dr. Ana Rodriguez-Mateos, a cardiology professor at the University of Duesseldorf in Germany, in a press release. "Due to this robust profile of polyphenols, our team sought to evaluate the immediate vascular impact of drinking...cranberry juice with a different range of concentrations of cranberry-polyphenols."
Rodriguez-Mateos and her team had ten healthy men between the ages of 18 to 40 drink just under two cups of sweetened cranberry juice (450 milliliters). Each juice was concentrated differently, ranging from 0 to 117 percent, where the amount of cranberries-to-water ratio increased with the concentration. To detect any changes, researchers took blood and urine samples at the start of the study, and again at hour one, two, four, six, and eight.
The samples showed incremental improvements in men's blood flow, arterial stiffness, and blood pressure over the course of 24 hours. All the cranberry juice concentrates, even the cocktail ones sold at local grocery stores made with 25 to 27 percent cranberry juice, had a positive effect. Because of how effective it was at improving blood flow, researchers believe it could lower the risk of atherosclerosis, a disease that occurs from a build up of plaque inside the arteries. Reduced blood flow "is a central feature in the development of atherosclerosis."
In 2013, researchers found similar benefits with cranberry sauce, in which the sauce was found to help protect against certain infections, decrease inflammation, and lower the risk of heart disease. Given that polyphenols are often consumed through fruits and vegetables, it would make sense that a higher intake could potentially protect against artery-clogging damage — but according to the Harvard School of Public Health, researchers can't say for sure if this powerful antioxidant is capable of fighting off disease on its own.
This study, however, would suggest we're a step closer to finding out.
"Our results lay the groundwork to better understand the array of potential vascular and cardiovascular health benefits of cranberry polyphenols," notes Rodriguez-Mateos said. "Significant improvements in vascular function from drinking two cups of cranberry juice suggest an important role for cranberries in a heart-healthy diet."
How a daily dose of cranberry juice can boost health
- By Giles Sheldrick
A DAILY dose of cranberry juice can lower the chances of heart disease, diabetes and stroke, a study suggests.
Downing two 8oz glasses a day for two months reduced the risk of developing the killer conditions by as much as 15 per cent.
Cranberries have been hailed as a “superfood” because they contain polyphenols, compounds that boost immunity and lower blood pressure, and proanthocyanidins which may stop bacteria from sticking inside the body.
Researchers tested 56 healthy adults with an average age of 50.
One group drank low-calorie cranberry juice twice a day while the other drank a placebo.
Scientists from the US Department of Agriculture measured blood pressure, blood sugar and fat levels, and C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation. After eight weeks the juice drinkers improved across all measures.
Dr Christina Khoo, of juice company Ocean Spray, said: "The worse off these numbers are in an individual, the more likely he or she will face a health condition like diabetes, heart disease or stroke in the future.”
Cranberries could help fight bowel cancer: Chemicals in the fruit found to reduce the size of tumours
- (Daily Mail Reporter)
- • Scientists found the super fruit helped halve the size of tumours in tests
- • Previous research found cranberry extracts could kill off colon cancer cells
- • But researchers say the chemicals may not be found in cranberry juice
Cranberries could be key to combating bowel cancer, according to a study offering new hope to sufferers of a disease that kills almost 16,200 people in the UK each year.
Researchers generated three powdered cranberry extracts – a whole fruit powder, another containing only chemicals from the cranberry known as polyphenols, and a third with only the non-polyphenol components of the fruit.
The extracts, equivalent to a cup of cranberries a day, were mixed into the meals of mice with colon cancer.
After 20 weeks the mice given the whole cranberry extract had about half the number of tumours as mice that received no cranberry in their food. The remaining tumours in the cranberry-fed mice were also smaller.
Furthermore, the cranberry extracts appeared to reduce the levels of inflammation markers in the mice.
Researchers said the same benefits could not necessarily be drawn from cranberry juice which lacks some components in the skin. They hope to find out which individual components in the cranberry are responsible for its anti-cancer properties.
Cranberry juice can boost heart health
- By Dennis O’Brien (ARS News Service)
BELTSVILLE, Md. — Drinking two glasses of cranberry juice a day can lead to significant heart health benefits, according to a study led by Janet Novotny, an Agricultural Research Service (ARS) physiologist at the Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center in Beltsville, Maryland.
Novotny gave 56 people either low-calorie cranberry juice or a similar-tasting placebo twice a day for 8 weeks and found that the juice lowered several risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes and stroke. The 30 women and 26 men were given 8-ounce servings at breakfast and dinner in a double-blind study in which they ate only foods provided as part of the study.
The cranberry juice was sweetened with sucralose and had the same juice content (27 percent) and nutrients as most sugar-sweetened cranberry juice available in stores. The placebo was a flavor-matched, calorie-matched, artificially colored beverage. The research was funded by Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc. Ocean Spray provided the juice, but was not involved in conducting the study or analyzing the results.
After 8 weeks, volunteers given the juice had lower levels of 5 of 22 indicators of cardiometabolic risk in their blood, compared with volunteers given the placebo. The differences could be considered “a notable result,” Novotny said.
Cardiometabolic risk is the combined risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes and stroke, which together causes more deaths in the developed world than anything else. CVD alone causes 930,000 deaths in the United States each year. Risks of developing CVD, diabetes and stroke can be modified with diet and exercise.
Previous studies have shown that cranberries are rich in the types of polyphenols associated with a reduced risk of heart disease, diabetes and stroke. But Novotny’s study is the first to show that cranberries confer such health benefits in a controlled-diet, double-blind clinical trial, which is considered the gold standard in health and medical research.
Amazing health benefits of cranberry juice!
- By Vasavi Garg (Zee Media Bureau)
Cranberries are a versatile fruit and their benefits make them useful in food as well as in medicinal products. The Latin name for cranberry plant is Vaccinium macrocarpon. It is one of the native fruits of North America.
Cranberries have a tremendous amount of antioxidant capacity as compared to other fruits and vegetables like broccoli, spinach, and apples.
The health benefits of cranberry juice include relief from urinary tract infection, respiratory disorders, kidney stones, cancer, and heart disease. It is also beneficial in preventing stomach disorders and diabetes, as well as gum diseases caused by dental plaque. Phytonutrients, which are naturally derived plant compounds, are present in cranberries and have been found to prevent a wide range of health problems.
• Nutritional value of cranberry juice:
Cranberry juice has a remarkable amount of antioxidants when compared to other fruits and vegetables.
One cup of cranberries possesses 8983 antioxidant capacity.
It contains anthocyanin flavonoids, sianidin, peonidin, quercetin, tannins and 87.13g of water per 100 g.
It is a good source of salicylic acid and Vitamin C.
It nourishes the body with carbohydrates, proteins and minerals like calcium, phosphorus, iron, sodium, magnesium, potassium, zinc and vitamins like niacin, riboflavin, Vitamin B6, E and K.
• Health benefits of cranberry juice-
- Prevents and relieves urinary tract infections (UTI)
Having pain or discomfort when passing urine? You may have a urinary tract infection.
Cranberry juice contains proanthocyanidins which has been shown to help stop bacteria from binding itself to the bladder walls. This means that the bacteria cannot multiply further in the bladder and flushes them out of the body. Cranberry juice also makes urine more acidic, creating an unsuitable environment for bacteria to thrive.
Drink up, but do be careful how much you consume - cranberry juice is known to have high sugar content.
- Cardiovascular health
Fill up those glasses, ladies. The flavanoids in cranberries can help lower the risk of heart problems and help boost your heart health.
Cranberries have also shown to help boost cholesterol. A study conducted by the American Chemical Society found that drinking three glasses of cranberry juice a day significantly raised levels of 'good cholesterol' by up to 121 percent.
- Prevents tooth decay
When we think of cranberry juice and our teeth, we think about the acidity, which we know can have an effect our enamel. But don't be so quick to judge, cranberry juice can actually have a surprisingly positive effect on oral health too.
To get the most out of it's benefits we recommend drinking it in its most natural form.
- Aids weight loss
Often we think as soon as we ditch the diet coke and start drinking fruit juices we're making healthier choices. But the sugar content in store-bought juice can often ruin your diet.
A glass of cranberry juice in the morning is a healthy option to start your day. It's a perfect way to start your day with an antioxidant boost and fewer calories and it gives you time to wash away the extra acidity left on your teeth so you can enjoy it's benefits to the fullest.
- Prevents cancer
When it comes to cancer prevention taking advantage of cranberries' superpowers isn't a bad idea.
A study at Cornell University found that cranberry extract killed off cancer cells within hours when tested on human breast cancer cells.
- Aids digestion
Cranberries are rich in fibre, helping the digestive system function smoothly leading to a healthy and happy stomach. But to make sure that you can enjoy these benefits you're going to have to eat the berries whole or as part of a smoothie.
- Rich in vitamin C
Rich in antioxidants, cranberry juice contains high amount of vitamin C which is vital for immunity, mood and collagen production apart from neutralising free radicals.
- Healthy pregnancy
Because of the high levels of vitamin C cranberry juice is recommended for various conditions. The University Of Maryland suggests that taking vitamin C along with vitamin E may help prevent pre-eclampsia, a condition associated with high blood pressure and increased protein in a pregnant woman's urine which can cause premature birth.
7 health reasons why you should eat more cranberries
- By Kate Whiting
They’re a great match for our Christmas turkey, but that’s not the only reason to love cranberries, as our nutrition experts reveal.
No Christmas dinner would be complete without the cranberry sauce, but these little red berries have a lot more to offer than just sitting on our plates in a condiment.
Not only are they super-versatile – ever tried baking dried ones into scones? – they’re bursting with health benefits too:
- Bladder health
“Cranberries have been used for centuries by Native Americans to treat urinary tract infections, and there’s lots of research being done now to explain why these tart little berries are so bladder friendly,” says nutritionist Dr Marilyn Glenville.
“The first study to scientifically confirm this health benefit was undertaken in 1994, where women given 300ml of cranberry juice a day were found to suffer less than half the incidence of urinary tract infections as the placebo-ingesting control group.
“It was originally believed that cranberry juice reduced the symptoms of cystitis by making the urine more acidic – obviously not a desirable effect, as it is the acidic urine that causes the burning sensation.
“We now know that cranberries work in a completely different way. It seems that certain substances in cranberries can stop bacteria such as E. coli from sticking to the walls of the urinary tract. For bacteria to infect your urinary tract, they must first stick to the mucosal (mucous membrane lining) walls of the tract. If they are unable to do so, they cannot multiply and are flushed from the body when you urinate.”
However, Dr Glenville warns: “Using cranberry juice which is sweetened with sugar is not going to be helpful, so you should either use an unsweetened cranberry juice (with no artificial sweeteners either) or better still, take it in a concentred dried form as a supplement.”
- Immune health
They’ll help us keep coughs and colds at bay this winter, according to Nature’s Best nutritionist Keri Filtness: “Cranberries are an excellent source of vitamin C, which can contribute to the normal function of the immune system.”
- Dental health
The same properties that stop bacteria from sticking to the wall of the urinary tract – thought to be antioxidant proanthocyanidins – have been shown to “inhibit the HSV-2 herpes virus, the Helicobacter pylori bacteria that are increasingly recognised as a leading cause of peptic ulcers and the growth of oral bacteria, which cause dental plaque and periodontal disease,” says Dr Glenville.
- Heart health
According to Dr Glenville, “studies have also found that cranberries, which contain high levels of other antioxidant flavonoids and polyphenols, can reduce the risk of atherosclerosis, which is caused by ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol silting up arteries, reducing blood flow and leading to angina, thrombosis and heart attacks.”
- Allergy busting
Filtness says: “These berries also contain a compound called quercetin which is thought to reduce inflammation and may help with allergies.” Memory and mental health
“Research to come out of the Human Nutrition Research Centre on Aging at Tufts University in the US suggests that diets rich in foods with high levels of antioxidants and other phytonutrients, such as cranberries, could protect against chronic age-related afflictions such as loss of memory and mental acuity,” says Dr Glenville.
- Skin health
“The antioxidant proanthocyanidins, which give cranberries their distinctive bright red colour, are thought to support the production and reduce the breakdown of collagen which may have an effect on skin elasticity and strength,” says Filtness.
6 health benefits of cranberries, plus how to get more of them in your diet year-round
- By Molly Kimball (NOLA.com , The Times-Picayune)
Cranberries get a ton of press around the holidays, but for the rest of the year, we don't hear much about them. That is a shame, really, because cranberries are one of the top antioxidant-rich foods, packing in more antioxidants ounce-for-ounce than other "superfoods" like spinach, blueberries, or even green tea.
Part of the issue is that we don't really know what to do with them if they aren't canned, jellied, or dried. Fresh cranberries are super-tart, and can seem more cumbersome to add to our diets than other fruits like blueberries or blackberries.
However, in addition having more phytonutrients than these more familiar berries, cranberries are also even lower in calories and sugar, with a mere 46 calories, 12 grams of carb, and 2 grams of sugar per cup.
Here are six reasons to incorporate cranberries year-round, plus six easy ways to get more in your diet.
Inflammation. Cranberries have been shown to have an anti-inflammatory effect, which can potentially benefit conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, stomach and digestive disorders, and our cardiovascular system, particularly the lining of our vessel walls.
Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs). Cranberries have been used for years to prevent UTIs. It appears that their high levels of antioxidants called proanthocyanidins help reduce the adhesion of certain bacteria to urinary tract walls, which in turn can help to reduce the incidence of UTIs.
Ulcers. Certain types of stomach ulcers are related to a particular type of bacteria called Helicobacter pylori, and it's possible that cranberries may help prevent this bacteria from attaching to the lining of the stomach, similar to how they can help prevent bacteria from attaching to the lining of the urinary tract.
Dental health. The same phytonutrients in cranberries that help prevent UTIs may also benefit our dental health, by preventing bacteria from sticking to our teeth. An added bonus: The anti-inflammatory effects of these phytonutrients can also help to reduce inflammation in and around our gums, which helps to reduce our risk of periodontal disease.
Cardiovascular Disease. Cranberry's benefit on cardiovascular health is likely due to a combination of factors, including cranberry's antioxidant effects, anti-inflammatory effects, and potential improvement of HDL and LDL cholesterol. The polyphenols may help prevent the build-up of plaque on vessel walls, and the antioxidant components of cranberries are also linked to a reduction in blood pressure.
Protect against cancer. Researchers continue to identify more and more ways that cranberries are beneficial in slowing tumor growth, and have shown positive effects against certain types of cancer, including prostate, lung, breast, and colon cancer.
Whole cranberries versus cranberry supplements? It's important to note that taking isolated nutrients from cranberries in supplement form does not appear to have the same health benefits as the whole berry. There seems to be a synergistic effect of all of the nutrients working together, and – as is the case with many foods – eating the whole berry is better than supplementing with an isolated nutrient or extract.
The skinny on dried cranberries: Unless you're making your own (which can be pretty time-consuming), steer clear of dried cranberries. Nearly all brands are made with added sugar or fruit juices, and the "reduced sugar" varieties are generally artificially sweetened with Splenda, and still fairly high in added sugar.
And while "Greek yogurt dried cranberries" may sound like the epitome of nutritious snacking, they're anything but. They're essentially sugar-laden cranberries coated with a "yogurt" coating of sugar, oil, and yogurt powder, with minimal real yogurt.
Fresh, whole cranberries are by far the most healthful option – and fortunately, you can freeze fresh cranberries to use throughout the year. Here are six ways to enjoy fresh cranberries, beyond sugary sauces and sweet treats.
Smoothies. Toss a handful of cranberries (fresh, or frozen whole, with no sugar added) into your favorite smoothie for a low-calorie boost of antioxidants. My favorite blend: Unsweetened almond milk, plain 2 percent Greek yogurt, and a blend of fresh or frozen strawberries, raspberries, and cranberries.
Low-sugar compote. This is basically whole-berry cranberry sauce made with a zero-calorie sweetener instead of sugar (my preference is a natural plant-based sweetener like Swerve or Truvia). Simply boil one cup water with the sweetener equivalent of one cup of sugar. Add 12 ounces of fresh cranberries, and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour into a bowl and serve at room temperature, or cover and refrigerate. Serve this low-sugar cranberry compote with grilled chicken or fish, or add it to hot cereal, yogurt, or cottage cheese.
Popsicles. Blend fresh cranberries (or the above low-sugar compote) with plain 2 percent Greek yogurt, along with any other fresh fruit, herb, or spice of choice (lime, ginger, or mint work particularly well with cranberries), and freeze into popsicle molds.
Salsa. Fresh cranberries can be blended and added to any salsa recipe, adding a sweet tartness. Check out our Hatch Chili Cranberry Salsa recipe, below.
"Ice" cubes. Freeze fresh whole cranberries to use as ice cubes in cocktails or even just sparkling water or iced tea.
Roasted cranberries. They're a delicious addition to salads or whole grains like quinoa or brown rice. And they're a cinch to make: Simply toss two cups cranberries with two teaspoons of olive oil, a tablespoon of chopped fresh mint, and one tablespoon of raw sugar or natural sugar replacer. Roast at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes until they're soft and slightly caramelized.
This tart-and-spicy salsa pairs well with blue corn chips, or can be served with sliced raw veggies such as zucchini or other squash for low-calorie snacking. Save any leftovers to serve slightly warmed, atop grilled chicken or fish.
Hatch Chile Cranberry Salsa
Makes about 12 quarter-cup servings
2 cups fresh cranberries
2 Hatch chile peppers, roasted, seeded, minced
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 onion, minced
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons raw sugar (or Swerve or Truvia)
3/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup roasted, salted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
Place cranberries in processor and blend until finely chopped. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and add chiles, cilantro, onions, and green onions. In a small bowl, stir together the sweetener and lime until sugar dissolves completely. Stir lime juice and pepitas into cranberry mixture and serve.
Refrigerate any leftovers in a covered, airtight container.
Per serving: 24 calories, 0.5 grams fat, 0 saturated fat, 15 mg sodium, 4 grams carbohydrate, 1 gram fiber, 1 gram sugar, 0.5 grams protein.
Ask Well: Do Cranberries Offer Health Benefits?
- Source:http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/11/25/ask-well-do-cranberries-offer-any-health-benefits/?_r=0
- By Roni Caryn Rabin
Q: Does cranberry juice have health benefits?
A: Cranberry juice is a popular folk remedy for staving off urinary tract infections and the berries contain chemical compounds with potentially powerful antibacterial properties. But clinical trials that have tested cranberry products have yielded mixed results, possibly because studies tested juices and supplements with varying amounts of active ingredients. Many trials also had high dropout rates.
The most recent Cochrane review on cranberries, from 2012, analyzed two dozen trials involving 4,473 participants and concluded that cranberries are no more effective for preventing U.T.I.s than placebos. But the review also suggested that cranberry products may reduce symptomatic infections among women with recurrent U.T.I.s.
Dr. William E. Cayley, a family medicine professor at the University of Wisconsin who wrote a synopsis of the Cochrane evidence in American Family Physician, said cranberry products should not be recommended to prevent U.T.I.s, but, “If someone says they want to try drinking it, I’m not going to tell them, ‘Don’t do it.’”
Cranberries contain chemical compounds called proanthocyanidins that can prevent E. coli bacteria from sticking to the bladder walls, “preventing the first step in the infection process,” said Amy Howell, an associate research scientist at the Marucci Center for Blueberry and Cranberry Research and Extension at Rutgers University. Dr. Howell explained that if bacteria cannot stick to a cell, they cannot multiply and produce toxins.
Proanthocyanidins are active in other sites in the body as well, and studies suggest cranberries may help reduce tooth decay, may suppress H. pylori infections, a cause of ulcers, and may lower the risk of atherosclerosis by inhibiting platelet aggregation and reducing cholesterol.
Most cranberry juices you will find in grocery stores contain added sweeteners or are mixed with sweeter juices. To get enough of the active cranberry ingredients, choose a drink with at least 25 percent pure cranberry juice, Dr. Howell said, and drink eight to 10 ounces a day.
Harvesting cranberries for their healing properties
- Source: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2015/11/25/harvesting-cranberries-for-their-healing-properties.html
- By Chris Kilham
Carver, Massachusetts contains the greatest concentration of cranberry production in one place in the entire world. The town, just a few miles from Cape Cod, is home to major cranberry producers, whose fruits find their way into juices, sauces, and nutritional supplements. In early October during the harvest season, Carver is swarmed with huge trucks hauling cranberries to processing centers.
On a crisp, clear day, I found myself up to my waist in a cranberry bog, discussing the merits of cranberries with “Cranberry Dan” Souza, who grew up on Cape Cod and has worked in the cranberry industry for more than a decade. Dan’s enthusiasm for cranberries is exceeded only by his knowledge. He has borrowed waders for us to wear from his former employer Decas, one of the major cranberry companies. In the waterproof gear, we looked like trout fishermen in a sea of red berries.
“Cranberries are super rich in antioxidants,” Dan told me. He explained that the berries, which originated from North America and were a favored food of native people, are high in proanthocyanidins (PACS), a class of antioxidants that not only slow the aging process of cells in the body, but help to repair and rejuvenate tissue as well.
“Most people know one of the main health benefits of cranberries, and that’s for preventing UTIs,” he explained. Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are caused by bacteria that colonize in the urinary tract. “Cranberries make it hard for the bacteria to adhere to tissue walls in the urinary tract, so they’re expelled from the body through the urine.”
While Dan went through the health benefits of cranberries, a team of men was busy installing a gigantic vacuum cleaner in the pond near where we were standing. The machine is used to hose up all of the berries in the pond – maybe as much as 50 tons in all – within a scant half an hour. We had already seen this process, having observed men in another cranberry bog rake berries toward the vacuum cleaner, which shoots the berries into a conveyor that hurls them into a truck at high speed and high volume.
It turns out that cranberries are also of benefit for men with prostate trouble, who experience frequent night urination and incomplete voiding of urine. “With the right cranberry extract, a man can get up fewer times in the night and urinate more completely,” Dan said. “In effect, the cranberry helps to eliminate more urine.”
The scene in Carver was impressive and pretty. One huge bog after another was flooded when the berries were ripe. Tractors entered the bogs and stirred up the cranberries, detaching them from their vines. The berries floated to the surface of the flooded bogs, covering the blue water with a surface of brilliant red, like a sea of rubies. Men moved in with the giant industrial vacuum cleaners. Huge trucks came and went. The place was busy, and the harvesting was loud.
The cranberry harvest was both beautiful and amazing to watch. The men in the bogs worked with practiced efficiency, and they appeared to be enjoying themselves. I asked one cranberry harvester named James how long he had been at this. “My whole life. I never wanted to do anything else, and I still love it. For me, it’s the best job in the world.”
9 Cranberry Benefits: Powerhouse of Antioxidants, Heart Healthy and More
- By Aashna Ahuja (NDTV)
During the course of the day, we’re all faced with many choices – some daunting, some second nature. Cream or sugar? Carrot sticks or chocolate? And in the quest for better health, there are also many choices that fitness freaks are forced to make. Workout or sweet slumber? Eat a protein bar or a handful of cranberries? … Wait, cranberries!? Yes, these tart berries go beyond Thanksgiving (and Cosmopolitans). It turns out that this fruit is indeed a superfood, offering a lot more than it lets on.
The plant is actually a dwarf, creeping shrub, or vine, which runs up to 10 to 20 cm in height and bears small, evergreen leaves. The berry itself is tiny and very acidic in taste with a pH ranging from 2.3 to 2.5. Cranberries (Scientific Name: Vaccinium Macrocarpon) are loaded with vitamin C and fiber, rich in phyto-nutrients which are essential for all-round wellness, and also contain various chemical substances that may offer protection from tooth cavities, urinary tract infection, and inflammatory diseases.
9 Cranberry Benefits
1. Powerhouse of Antioxidants
Did you know that cranberries succeed almost all fruits and vegetables in disease-fighting antioxidants, including strawberries, raspberries, spinach, broccoli and cherries? One cup of cranberries in fact has a total of 8,983 antioxidant capacity.
2. Prevents UTIs
Cranberry is perhaps best known for its role in preventing UTIs. The high level of proanthocyanidins in cranberries helps lower the adhesion of certain bacteria to the urinary-tract walls, in turn fighting off infections. According to a study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, cranberry helps prevent UTIs. However, cranberry juice is far less effective since it takes an extremely large concentration of cranberry to prevent bacterial adhesion.
3. Boosts Brain Power
The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds present in cranberries may improve memory and coordination according to Tufts University. So if you wish to stay brilliant, you might want to snack on dried cranberries daily.
4. Prevents Cancer
“Research has shown that cranberries are beneficial in slowing tumor progression and have shown positive effects against prostate, liver, breast, ovarian and colon cancers”, says Dr. Manoj K. Ahuja, Sukdha Hospital.
5. Helps with Weight Loss
“Cranberry juice has an emulsifying effect on the fats deposited in the body which in turn help with weight loss. Since it is loaded with fiber, it also helps one stay full for longer”, says Delhi-based Nutritionist Anshul Jaibharat.
6. Combats Tooth Decay
According to researchers at the Center of Oral Biology and Eastman Department of Dentistry at The University of Rochester Medical Center, the proanthocyanidins present in cranberries may benefit oral health by preventing gum disease and bacteria from binding to the teeth.
7. Nourishes Skin
According to www.health.com, cranberries help nourish the skin and make it more supple. You can blend quarter cup of honey with two tablespoons of dried cranberries and quarter tablespoon of essential oil and apply it to your skin for 10 minutes for improved results.
8. Boosts Immunity
Since cranberries are rich in antioxidants and phytochemicals, they promote a healthy immune system and reduce the odds of you getting sick.
9. Heart Healthy
According to a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition, people who drink a glass of unsweetened cranberry juice a day have increased levels of HDL cholesterol i.e. good cholesterol by about 10%. The polyphenols present in cranberries may also reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by preventing platelet build-up and reducing blood pressure.
Who knew karonda (cranberries in Hindi) could help benefit your body so much? Now if you don’t wish to add it to a trail mix, you can reap the benefits by sneaking cranberries into oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, muffins or sprinkling a handful of cranberries on your salad or even your go-to morning cereal. The superfood also pairs beautifully with pork and chicken dishes.
Cranberry Extract For Urinary Tract Infections In Infants Confirmed To Be Safe And Effective Treatment
- By Jaleesa Baulkman
Cranberry extract, which has already shown effectiveness in preventing urinary tract infections (UTIs) in adults, can also fight the infection in breastfed infants under a year old, according to a recent study. Although cranberries are commonly used to treat UTIs in adults, many were still unclear about the optimal dosage, and its potential usefulness in young children. But new research published in Annals of Pediatrics suggests using cranberries to prevent UTIs in young children in lieu of antibiotics prevents the risk of increasing antibiotic resistance.
UTIs, which account for more than about 8.1 million visits to health care providers each year, are the second most common type of infection in the body, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. It occurs when bacteria enter and infect the urinary tract. These infections can affect several parts of the urinary tract, but the most common type is a bladder infection.
“Current evidence supports the use of long-term low-dose antibiotic treatment to control recurrent urinary tract infections,” researchers wrote. “However, one of the main problems in prescribing long-term low-dose antibiotics is the increase in bacterial resistance to antibiotics, and the effects of such treatment on the selection of multidrug-resistant bacteria in the flora.”
Researchers collected and analyzed data from 192 children between the ages of 1 month and 13 years. Eighty-five of the participants were under a year old and 107 children were older than 1. Of the infants younger than 1, 53 received trimethoprim, an antibiotic, and 32 received glucose syrup with 3 percent cranberry extract. Of those older than a year old, 64 received the antibiotic and 43 received the cranberry treatment. In all, 117 were administered a bacteriostatic antibiotic and 75 children received the cranberry extract.
They found that the cumulative rate of UTIs in infants who received trimethoprim was 28 percent, while this rate was 35 percent in infants who received cranberry. The overall cumulative rate of the infection in children older than 1-year-old was 35 percent in those who received trimethoprim and 26 percent in those who received cranberry.
The findings not only suggests the use of cranberries is safe in infants and children, it also suggests the efficacy of the fruit is not inferior to that of the antibiotic trimethoprim for the treatment of UTIs in children. “Its efficacy in infants less than 1 year of age can be considered inferior to that of trimethoprim at the doses we administered,” researchers said. However, they found that cranberry is not inferior to trimethoprim when the dose of proanthocyanidins was more than 18 milligrams.
Researchers hope to find if cranberries’ anti-inflammatory properties can improve kidney disease or infection.
Cranberries For Children May Help Ward Off Urinary Troubles
- By Jason Tetro
For many Canadians, no turkey dinner is complete without the addition of cranberry sauce. The tartness from the red berries offers a perfect complement to the rich meal. But beyond these special moments, cranberries have long been thought to be an excellent way to improve health, particularly in the urinary tract.
The effects of cranberries on overall health have been studied for over a century. Back in 1914, the berries were found to be a rich source of a chemical called benzoic acid. The name may seem familiar as it's used as a preservative in many foods. When the body ingests the chemical, it is transformed into hippuric acid, which helps to keep pathogenic species, such as Escherichia coli, from growing in areas where it doesn't belong, such as the urinary tract. But while the presence of benzoic acid was thought to be useful, in terms of quantities - the number of cranberries needed to improve health - there were no answers.
In 1923, the amount of hippuric acid formed after eating cranberries was finally determined. But to get to useful levels, a person had to eat quite a bit, as much as 350 grams. When lower amounts were ingested either as berries or juice, there was little to no impact. Interest in the benefit waned such that eventually, the use of cranberries to kill pathogens was considered little more than a tale.
That view changed in the 1980s when the focus on the antimicrobial effects of the juice shifted from antimicrobial activity to prevention of colonization. Instead of outright killing, cranberry juice was found to prevent bacteria from attaching to the inside urinary tract. But this activity wasn't due to hippuric acid, it was another chemical, proanthocyanidin. It's found in many different types of plants but in cranberries, the molecule seems to be perfectly designed to protect the lining of the urinary tract.
With this information in place, the door was opened for clinical trials. As the 21st century began, studies examining the effects of cranberry juice in humans led to the same protective effect seen in the lab. Not surprisingly, this helped to rejuvenate the original belief that cranberries could indeed improve health, just in a different manner. As studies were published, daily consumption could help to fight off infections and even keep them from happening in the first place.
With the positive results continuing to come in, the scope of trials extended to include a variety of different segments of the population. As expected, positive results came from studies with the elderly, those suffering from recurring infection, and pregnancy. The only negative outcome was an apparent interaction in those prescribed warfarin; they should not drink cranberry juice while taking blood thinners.
With almost every demographic covered, the only group remaining to be tested were children under one year of age. In light of their well-known issues with urinary tract infections, they had the most to gain from a well-developed study. But until recently, little had been done to determine the effect of cranberry supplementation. That recently changed when a group of Spanish researchers revealed a cranberry extract may help to prevent infections in these young individuals.
The team examined 192 children, 85 of which were under one year of age. All had suffered from at least three episodes in their short lives. The population was divided into two separate treatment groups; one received an antibiotic known to help fight urinary infections while the other received suspension of 3% cranberry extract in a glucose syrup. Each child received a single dose daily with regular follow ups every 2 months until the study ended. This was done to determine whether cranberries would be useful over the long term.
When the results came back, the results were just as expected. Children taking the cranberry had a lower rate of infection compared to the antibiotic although when compared statistically, infants did not fare as well as children over one year of age. Even so, the data clearly supported the daily use of cranberry to help a child fight off infection was safe at any age. Moreover, in comparison to an antibiotic, to which resistance can develop, bacteria cannot stop the activity of proanthocyanidin.
Although the study focused on young children with a history of urinary tract infections, the authors suggested the use of cranberries as a preventative measure may keep all children healthy. By taking in a small amount of extract per day, a child may be able avoid infection in the first year of life and beyond. This will not only help as she grows older, but will help to relieve parents who hope to minimize any pain and discomfort in their young ones.
7 reasons why cranberries are good for you all year round
- By Kate Whiting
Don't forget about cranberries once the Christmas condiments are cleared away. Here's seven reasons to keep them on the menu.
With their deep red hue and vibrant sheen, cranberries certainly look the festive part - and taste particularly delicious in sauce form slathered on turkey - but there's no reason why these juicy fruits should be forgotten about the rest of the year.
In fact, they are bursting with potential health benefits, not to mention being super-versatile too (ever tried baking dried ones into scones?).
Here, experts outline seven reasons to cram in more cranberries ...
1. Bladder health
"Cranberries have been used for centuries by Native Americans to treat urinary tract infections, and there's lots of research being done now to explain why these tart little berries are so bladder friendly," says nutritionist Marilyn Glenville (www.marilynglenville.com).
"The first study to scientifically confirm this health benefit was undertaken in 1994, where women given 300ml of cranberry juice a day were found to suffer less than half the incidence of urinary tract infections as the placebo-ingesting control group. It was originally believed that cranberry juice reduced the symptoms of cystitis by making the urine more acidic - obviously not a desirable effect, as it is the acidic urine that causes the burning sensation. advertisement
"We now know that cranberries work in a completely different way. It seems that certain substances in cranberries can stop bacteria, such as E. coli, from sticking to the walls of the urinary tract. For bacteria to infect your urinary tract, they must first stick to the mucosal (mucous membrane lining) walls of the tract. If they are unable to do so, they cannot multiply and are flushed from the body when you urinate."
2. Immune health
They could help us keep coughs and colds at bay, too, according to Nature's Best nutritionist Keri Filtness (www.naturesbest.co.uk), as they contain nutrients that support immune function. "Cranberries are an excellent source of vitamin C, which can contribute to the normal function of the immune system," says Filtness.
3. Dental health
The same properties that stop bacteria from sticking to the wall of the urinary tract - thought to be antioxidant proanthocyanidins - have been shown to "inhibit the HSV-2 herpes virus, and the Helicobacter pylori bacteria that are increasingly recognised as a leading cause of peptic ulcers and the growth of oral bacteria," says Glenville.
4. Heart health
According to Glenville, "studies have also found that cranberries, which contain high levels of other antioxidant flavonoids and polyphenols, can reduce the risk of atherosclerosis, which is caused by 'bad' LDL cholesterol silting up arteries, reducing blood flow and leading to angina, thrombosis and heart attacks".
5. Allergy busting
Filtness says: "These berries also contain a compound called quercetin, which is thought to reduce inflammation and may help with allergies."
6. Memory and mental health
"Research to come out of the Human Nutrition Research Centre on Aging at Tufts University in the US, suggests that diets rich in foods with high levels of antioxidants and other phytonutrients, such as cranberries, could protect against chronic age-related afflictions," notes Glenville.
7. Skin health
"The antioxidant proanthocyanidins, which give cranberries their distinctive, bright red colour, are thought to support the production, and reduce the breakdown, of collagen, which may have an effect on skin elasticity and strength," says Filtness.
Pictures of Cranberries
Cranberry Mass Harvest
