Cranberry
Research shows drinking cranberry juice cocktail every day may help promote urinary tract health. For over 60 years, Ocean Spray has been actively researching the cranberry and our products to understand their role in maintaining good health. Early research determined that compounds in cranberry, called proanthocyanidins or condensed tannins, prevent certain bacteria from sticking to the urinary tract, If bacteria can’t stick, they cannot cause infection. This anti-stick mechanism of cranberry is key to its urinary tract health benefits.
Our entire range of Cranberry
A recent study supports that women can help maintain a healthy urinary tract by drinking two servings of cranberry juice cocktail every day.
Remember, cranberry juice cocktail should not be used as a treatment for infection, but may be an effective part of a prevention routine. If an infection is suspected, a health care professional should be consulted on proper treatment and management.
The majority of physicians and other health professionals believe there is a clear association between a diet high in fruits and vegetables and a low risk of chronic disease. Cranberries contain proanthocyanidins (PACs) that can prevent the adhesion of certain of bacteria, including E. coli, associated with urinary tract infections to the urinary tract wall. The anti-adhesion properties of cranberry may also inhibit the bacteria associated with gum disease and stomach ulcers.
Recent scientific research shows that cranberries and cranberry products contain significant amounts of antioxidants and other phytonutrients that may help protect against heart disease, cancer and other diseases. Specifically, cranberry juice and cranberry extract appear to help prevent and even eliminate urinary tract infections. Most women develop this type of problem at least once in their lives, and some suffer from constant recurrences.
Health Benefits of Cranberry Cranberries and cranberry products offer several important health benefits. Historically, Native Americans used cranberries to relieve a variety of ailments from simple stomachaches to pain associated with cancer. In the last six years, medical research has clinically confirmed that cranberries can play an important role in maintaining urinary tract health.
Cranberry juice is effective against various plaque-forming bacteria that can bind to teeth and cause gingivitis and gum disease. Researchers have also found that cranberry juice may deodorize urine, a real boon for individuals who suffer from incontinence. In fact, the most popular medicinal uses by far for cranberry relate to urinary tract conditions.
Cranberries are a good source of vitamin A, C, B complex, Folic Acid and Fiber. Also included are the minerals Calcium, Iron, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sodium and Sulfur. But there is more to them than just vitamins. Cranberries contain plant pigments called bioflavanoids, which help repair damaged molecules formed when the body uses up oxygen. They also contain hippuric acid, which has antibacterial effects on the body,as well as natural antibiotic ingredients.
Over the decades, countless women have used pure cranberry juice or cranberry juice cocktail to self-treat their UTIs. This common infection typically causes a burning sensation while urinating as well as a frequent and often intense urge to do so. For a long time, cranberries were thought to directly fight the infection by acidifying the urine to such an extent that bacteria such as Escherichia coli would languish or die. Today, the prevailing theory is that cranberry juice inhibits microorganisms from adhering to the mucosal cells lining the urinary tract, making it a less hospitable environment for the proliferation of E. coli and other infection-causing bacteria.
Urinary Tract Infections Many people take cranberry supplements to prevent urinary tract infections caused by bacteria. Specifically, the proanthocyanidins found in cranberry appear to block the adhesive strands on the E. coli bacteria from sticking to a surface whereby inhibiting their ability to stick to the cell walls of the uterus and bladder. Help prevent urinary tract infections by preventing microorganisms from adhering to the bladder and urinary tract.
Kidney stones Cranberries reduce the risk for kidney stones. Anecdotal reports indicate that cranberry may help to reduce the risk of infection when you have this painful condition, also commonly referred to as urinary stones and "bladder gravel. Tannins found in cranberries may help to inhibit the adhesion of bacteria in the stomach, including the heliobacter pylori bacterium, which is the bacteria responsible for GI diseases, including gastric, duodenal and peptic ulcers as well as gastric cancer.
Maintain Heart Health Researchers believe phenol compounds called flavonoids, associated with foods such as red wine, help reduce cardiovascular disease. Studies indicate flavonoids work by inhibiting blood clothing, increasing interior blood vessel diameter and protecting oxidation of cholesterol in the bloodstream. This all leads to improved cardiovascular health. Evidence shows the polyphenolic compounds called "flavenoids" in cranberries play a role in promoting blood vessel diameter and preventing clogged arteries;
Anti-Cancer Activity Based on evaluation of several vitro screening tests, it has been suggested that the proanthocyanidin compounds found in cranberry may exhibit some anti-carcinogenic activity. The ability of cranberry extract and phytochemicals to inhibit cell proliferation in a colon cancer cell culture model and a liver cancer cell culture model in vitro.
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