Other names:
Also known as Vaccinium macrocarpon. Common products that
contain this include: Cranberry Extract
What is it supposed to do?
Used to treat a urinary tract infection
How it is supposed to work:
The mechanism of action with cranberry is not completely understood.
Toxic effects:
None found in the literature
Does it work?
In a recent study, a cranberry juice beverage did indeed reduce the
frequency of both bacteriuria (the passage of bacteria in the urine) and
pyuria (presence of pus, indicating white blood cells in the urine) in elderly
women.
A recent study found that an extract of cranberry inhibited an enzyme
associated with a reduction in cancer risk.
Other information:
Research has found that fructose, a common sugar in many fruit juices, had
some anti-adherence effect on E. coli bacterium. They also found that a
compound isolated from cranberry juice (and blueberry juice) had the most
potent effect. The evolving theory is that this compound produces an
antibacterial effect in the gut or the bladder by adhering to the tiny hairs
of the bacterial surface, thus preventing the bacteria from implanting in the
tissue mucosal linings, and simply flushing them out of the body via the
urine.
References:
- Stapleton A. Novel approaches to prevention of urinary tract infections.
Infect Dis Clin North Am 2003;17(2):457-471.
- Jepson RG. Cranberries for preventing urinary tract infections. Cochrane
Database Syst Review 2001;CD001321.
- Stothers LA. A randomized trial to evaluate effectiveness and cost
effectiveness of naturopathic cranberry products as prophylaxis against
urinary tract infections in women. Can J Urol 2002;9(3):1558-1562.
