Cranberry
This ingredient can be found in: Pop A Purple
Cranberries are small red fruits from a group of shrubs (Vaccinium) that grow in acidic bogs in North America. Cranberries contain significant amounts of vitamin C, proanthocyanidins, and other polyphenols. Native Americans have long used cranberries to treat bladder and kidney conditions. Other traditional uses for cranberry include stomach disorders, appetite loss, vomiting, scurvy, and cancer.
Cranberries are well known for their potent antimicrobial effects. They have been shown to prevent E coli infection by preventing the bacteria from binding to human cells, the first step in the process of infection. This action, apparently mediated by proanthocyanidins, is believed to be the way cranberries are able to reduce urinary tract infections.
Cranberries can help prevent gum disease and cavities through its ability to prevent dental plaque. Dental plaque is formed by bacterial adhesion to the tooth surfaces, this growth is also known as a biofilm. Cranberry is able to reduce the adhesion and growth of Streptococcus mutans and S sobrinus, some of the primary bacteria involved in tooth decay and periodontal disease.
Cranberry also shows promise as a treatment for stomach ulcers. In combination with oregano, it has been shown to inhibit urease, an enzyme that enables Helicobacter pylori to survive in acidic conditions. H pylori is a bacterium found in the stomach and small intestine that can cause ulcers. Antibiotics are the conventional treatment for stomach ulcers, but antiobiotics can have unpleasant side effect and the bacteria are becoming resistant to antibiotics. Cranberry supplementation may help reduce the risk of ulcers.
References
- Howell AB, Foxman B. Cranberry juice and adhesion of antibiotic-resistant uropathogens. JAMA. 2002 Jun 19;287(23):3082-3. View Source
- Lin YT, Kwon YI, Labbe RG, Shetty K. Inhibition of Helicobacter pylori and associated urease by oregano and cranberry phytochemical synergies. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2005 Dec;71(12):8558-64. View Source
- Lynch DM. Cranberry for prevention of urinary tract infections. Am Fam Physician. 2004 Dec 1;70(11):2175-7. View Source
- Vaccinium. Dr. Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases. [Online Database] 10 May 2009. View Source
- Vaccinium. Dr. Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases. [Online Database] 10 May 2009. View Source
- Yamanaka-Okada A, Sato E, Kouchi T, Kimizuka R, Kato T, Okuda K. Inhibitory effect of cranberry polyphenol on cariogenic bacteria. Bull Tokyo Dent Coll. 2008 Aug;49(3):107-12. View Source




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