Take cranberries for UTI?

 

Cranberries are the fruit of a native plant of North America, used extensively in food preparation and herbal remedies. Early settlers from England learned to use the berries and leaves both raw and cooked for a host of ailments, including appetite loss, stomach problems, blood disorders, scurvy (lack of vitamin C), wounds, urinary disorders, diarrhea, diabetes and liver problems.

 

Properties
 

Phytonutrients – found naturally in plant compounds in the form of antioxidants, are increasingly being shown to help optimize human health. Cranberry fruit is high in antioxidants, partly from substances called proanthocyanidins, giving it the vibrant color. These properties can neutralize particles in the body known as free radicals, which damage cell membranes, tamper with DNA and even cause cell death.

Another important function is the prevention of adhesion of certain of bacteria, including E. coli, associated with urinary tract infections. At first, scientists thought cranberry worked by making urine acidic enough to kill the bacteria. Now, studies show that it actually prevents bacteria from attaching to the walls of the urinary tract. This anti-adhesion properties also prevent bacteria buildup causing gum disease (dental plaque) and stomach ulcers.

Further studies suggest that cranberry does not work once you have a Urinary tract infections (UTI). That is because in preventing UTIs, it helps keep bacteria from attaching to the urinary tract. However, it is less effective once the bacteria have already done so. Hence it is more effective at preventing UTIs than treating them. You may like to consider using garlic to destroy the bacteria and follow up with prebiotics and probiotics to prevent further outbreak.

 

Recent scientific research showed that cranberries and cranberry products are an excellent source of vitamin C, another important antioxidant that has the ability to inhibit the growth of Helicobacter pylori in the stomach, and thus very useful in preventing or healing stomach diseases eg. stomach cancer tumors. Working jointly with other flavonoids present in the fruit such as proanthocyanidins, flavonols and quercetin help to protect against cancer.

Other uses

Preliminary studies from laboratory tests showed it helped in the following conditions -

+ Alzheimer’s disease – seems to offer some protection against Alzheimer’s disease.

+ Inflammation — has anti-inflammatory and anti-clotting effects with its tannins content.

+ High cholesterol — can raise HDL or good cholesterol levels.

+ Diabetes – lower serum glucose levels in type 2 diabetes patients consuming cranberry juice compared to a control group.

Side Effects and Cautions

• Drinking cranberry juice products appears to be safe, although excessive amounts could cause gastrointestinal upset or diarrhea.
• Caution for people who take blood-thinning drugs (such as warfarin), medications or aspirin that affect the liver.
• It contains relatively high levels of oxalate, chemicals that may raise the risk of kidney stones in some people.
• As most cranberry juice contains added sugar, diabetic patients should look for brands without artificial sweetener added or monitor the amount of sweetened juice consumed.

Other comments

As cranberries are usually cooked into cranberry sauce or traditionally served with roast turkey, most of us rarely get to eat it. Make it part of your daily healthy diet. It has much more antioxidants than most fruits around, and provide many health benefits.

As most fresh berries are delicate, even keeping in the fridge may end up with mold on their insides. The trick is the wash them with vinegar. Prepare a mixture of one part vinegar (white or apple cider may work well) and ten parts water. Dump the berries into the mixture and swirl around. Drain and rinse before you pop in the fridge. What happens is that the vinegar kills any mold spores and other bacteria that might be on the surface of the fruit. In this way, raspberries will last a week or more, and strawberries go almost two weeks without getting moldy and soft.

You’re so berry happy to see them sitting pretty in your fridge!

VIVA corner

VIVA Hemoberry provides natural fruit powders and extracts from cranberry, rosehips, acerola, beetroot and lemon – loaded with phytonutrients and add with natural berries flavours like blueberry and blackberry for delicious taste, natural color and antioxidant power.

You can have this simple drink more regularly now!