In early medicine, cranberries were used as a remedy for scurvy, a gum and bleeding disorder caused by severe vitamin C deficiency, as well as being used in a poultice to treat tumors and wounds. The name cranberry has been somewhat shortened from the original name of craneberry . The flower heads on the shrubs that produce the berries were thought to resemble the heads of the cranes that gathered in the bogs where they grew.
The cranberry, closely related to the blueberry, is native to North America and has been used for centuries both in cooking and in medicine. Today cranberries are widely cultivated throughout North America, but most commonly in Wisconsin, Massachusetts and British Columbia.
What is a Urinary Tract Infection
A urinary tract infection or UTI is a bacterial infection that adversely affects any part of the urinary tract and can be quite painful in some cases. When bacteria get into the bladder or kidney and multiply in the urine, they cause the infection. The most common type of UTI is a bladder infection which is also often called cystitis.
How Cranberries Work
In the early 1920s it was discovered that those who consumed large amounts of cranberries produced a much more acidic urine, and that the urine was purified. During the process of purification, hippuric acid was formed. Hippuric acid is an extremely powerful substance that has proven to have a strong antibacterial effect of the urinary tract.
Hippuric acid not only discourages harmful, infection causing bacteria, but has be known to actually eliminate it altogether.
Cranberries prevent harmful microorganisms from sticking to the cells that line the urinary tract. This makes for a less welcoming place for harmful bacteria like E.coli to multiply and cause infection.
Prevention Of Urinary Tract Infection
Studies show that not only can large quantities of cranberries cure a UTI, but that daily consumption of cranberry either in capsule form or as a juice dramatically reduce the chances of recurrence of the infection. Cranberry also shortens the course of a UTI , helping to lessen burning, itching and alleviate the pain that generally accompanies the infection and makes it so unpleasant.
It is very important to remember that although cranberry is an effective remedy for UTIs, that persistent recurrence should be brought to a doctor's attention. He/she will treat the infection with antibiotics and rule out anything more serious. However, cranberry juice can be consumed safely along with antibiotics and may even help lead to a quicker recovery.
How To Take It
To treat a UTI you should take about 800mg in pill form or you can drink 16oz of undiluted juice each day. If you choose to drink the juice instead of taking the pills, go to a health food store to be sure that you are buying pure cranberry juice. It may cost a little more, but it is worth the price. Cranberry cocktails are widely available in supermarkets at reasonable prices, but contain only about 1/3 cranberry juice. The other 2/3s is water and sweeteners to mask the tart taste of the berries.
Cranberry pills are small but pack a punch. You would have to eat two cups of fresh cranberries to get the equivalent of two 400g capsules.
Laurie Pizans - I am a wife and the mother of three grown children and one silly yellow dog. I quit work a few years back due to health problems, but work ...
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