There’s more to a cranberry juice cocktail than just its taste. Some people may think it’s an exaggerated home remedy, but researchers know that cranberries are the real thing: nature’s medicine.

Antibiotic resistance, or immunity that bacteria can develop to commonly used antibiotics, is a major public health concern. Doctors are doing everything they can to combat antibiotic resistance, and a natural alternative and household beverage just might be the ally they’re looking for. Scientists have discovered that drinking cranberry juice on a regular basis may offer protection against certain antibiotic resistant bacteria that cause urinary tract infections (UTI’s). Maintaining a healthy urinary tract with may reduce the need for antibiotics by preventing the initial infection.

IFANCA halal-certified Ocean Spray and the National Kidney Foundation teamed up in their shared goal of spreading awareness about UTI’s and how to prevent them. This joint venture addresses one of the most common conditions troubling women today.

According to the National Kidney Foundation, one in five women will develop a urinary tract infection (UTI) during her lifetime, and 20% of those will have UTI’s on a recurrent basis. The good news is that cranberry research supports not only the reduction of recurrent UTI’s by half, but now a new study suggests cranberry compounds may help prevent recurrent UTI’s for as long as two years.

The study, published in Phytomedicine, examined the ability of cranberry extract to ward off UTI’s in women with a history of recurrent infections. The results were riveting. During the course of the study, none of the women experienced a UTI. The promise of cranberries’ long lasting health benefits were strengthened when two years after the initial study, eight of the women who continued to take cranberry extract capsules, continued to be free of UTI’s. Hence the conclusion that cranberries may be a useful tool for helping women maintain a healthy urinary tract, naturally.

“The results of this pilot study reinforces the idea that by including cranberries and/or dried cranberries in their diet, women can benefit tremendously by reducing the risk of urinary tract infections,” said Amy Howell, research scientist at Rutgers University. “These new findings are particularly exciting in that cranberries offer a long term solution to help prevent UTI’s in women.”

Cranberries ward off urinary tract infections (UTI’s) by means of unique compounds in the fruit called proanthocyanidins, or PAC’s. PAC’s offer an anti-adhesion mechanism that prevents harmful E. coli bacteria from adhering to the urinary tract wall.

Another promising new study published in The Journal of Urology studied the potential of cranberry and its unique PAC’s against particular strains of E. coli. Scientists found that cranberry’s PAC’s can inhibit the adherence of E. coli to bladder cells, further strengthening previous research linking cranberry to UTI prevention. In this invitro study, researchers utilized a cranberry powder and a cranberry PAC extract which were applied directly to cultured bladder cells. Researchers found that this anti-adherence benefit increased with greater cranberry and PAC exposure, suggesting that a diet rich in cranberries and cranberry juice may limit the occurrence and recurrence of UTI’s.

There are a variety of ways to get the cranberry’s anti-adhesion benefits. One eight-ounce glass of cranberry juice cocktail contains just as many PAC’s as a ¼ cup of fresh or frozen cranberries, a ⅓ cup of sweetened, dried cranberries, or a ⅓ cup of cranberry sauce. In addition, while cranberry packs a nutritious punch, drinking one 8-ounce serving of any of the Premium 100% Juices, or eating ¼ cup sweetened dried cranberries counts as half your daily requirements for fruit. IFANCA halal-certified Ocean Spray products include Craisins® Brand, Original Sweetened Dried Cranberries, Cherry Flavor Sweetened Dried Cranberries and Orange Flavor Sweetened Dried Cranberries. For a full listing, visit www.ifanca.org.

Ocean Spray is an agricultural cooperative owned by more than 650 cranberry growers in Massachusetts, Wisconsin, New Jersey, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and other parts of Canada as well as about 50 Florida grapefruit growers. Ocean Spray was formed 75 years ago by three cranberry growers from Massachusetts and New Jersey. Florida grapefruit growers joined the Cooperative in 1976. Ocean Spray is North America’s leading producer of canned and bottled juices and juice drinks, and has been the best-selling brand name in the canned and bottled juice category since 1981.

 

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