Yummy Cranberries Provide Many Health Benefits

It's common knowledge that cranberries are good for urinary tract infections.

This glossy tart berry grows profusely in cold countries of the Northern Hemisphere. Colored scarlet red, cranberry harvest season is from October to December. Cranberries are important ingredients of holiday food cooked into sauces and used in salads and the like. But did you know that its bright red color easily identifies cranberry as a fruit loaded with phytochemicals?

Cranberries have many health benefits. Cranberry fruits, apart from being utilized for urinary tract infection, are great for other disorders- diarrhea, diabetes and stomach disorders. And the leaves have been utilized for wounds.

Scientific studies have proven that cranberries are packed with phytochemicals -- specifically with antioxidants. Antioxidants are known to prevent the onset of degenerative diseases which are part of the aging process such as coronary artery disease, cancer and diabetes mellitus.

But proanthocyanidins (another nutrient in cranberries) are the secret in urinary tract infection prevention. Research shows that proanthocyanidins prevent the adhesion of the bacteria Escherichia coli (E. coli) - the most common pathogen of urinary tract infections - to the lining mucosa of the urinary bladder. This minimizes the risk of contact with the cells and prevents infection.

Further studies show that the tannins in cranberries damage the E. coli tendrils or fimbriae (hair like projection of the bacterium). E. coli cannot grip the cells of the urinary bladder mucosa and this lessens the onslaught of E. coli infection.

Tart cranberries reduce the pH environment of the urinary bladder. A low pH is acidic and decreases the contact of the bacteria with the urinary bladder mucosa.

Another mechanism, the alteration of the shape and the activity of the E. coli microorganism, enhances the antibacterial property of cranberries. The altered form cripples the integrity of E. coli to launch an attack on the urinary tract. This lessens its infection ability. Also, E. coli loses its ability to secrete indole, a potent chemical that communicates the presence of kin in the urinary bladder. A high concentration of indole causes a successful simultaneous attack by a hoard of bacteria. When this communication is disrupted, the infection is aborted.

Accordingly, these same mechanisms work in other parts of the body to prevent stomach ulcer and gum disease. In the stomach, the proanthocyanidins in cranberries replay the scenario against Helicobacter pylori -- the culprit in stomach ulcers.

Additionally, compounds in the red glossy berry act like a probiotic -- a substance that encourages the growth of lactobacillus fermentum. Lactobacillus fermentum aids in decreasing population of other bacteria in the gut. The compound in whole frozen cranberries inhibits the bad guys of food borne infections notably Listeria monocytogenes and E. coli. Leslie Plhak of the University of Wisconsin presented this finding.

In gum disease and tooth decay, the major causative microorganism is streptococcus mutans. This can be minimized with the intake of cranberries. However, the sugar added to some cranberry juices can instead increase gum disease and tooth decay. Be careful to get only pure cranberry when seeking health benefits.

If that isn't enough, proanthocyanidins were tested and found effective as antivirals specifically against herpes zoster.

Natural cranberry juice (no sugar added) can be a great addition to your nutritional program.

© Lisa K. Moran, 2010

I am passionate about staying healthy naturally - things I can do for myself. Natural solutions, not drugs. Personal responsibility. Sharing what works.

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