Scientific research has confirmed that cranberries may help in saying goodbye to bladder infections.
Cranberry consumption has been linked with preventing urinary tract infections(UTI) for over a century but a new research has proved that cranberries have a destructive impact on infection-causing bacteria.
A team of researchers headed by Prof Nathalie Tufenkji from McGill University’s Department of Chemical Engineering have found that cranberry derivatives could be used to prevent bacterial infections in medical devices.
According to the researchers, cranberry powder can restrain a bacteria called Proteus mirabilis to swarm on agar plates and swim within the agar. The scientists have also established that increasing concentrations of cranberry powder reduce the bacteria’s production of an enzyme that contributes to the virulence of infections.
“While the effects of cranberry in living organisms remain subject to further study, our findings highlight the role that cranberry consumption might play in the prevention of chronic infections,” Tufenkji said.
She added that over 150 million cases of UTI are reported globally each year, and antibiotic treatment remains the standard approach for managing these infections.
Cranberries enriched silicone substrates impaired bacterium spread
Tufenkji’s team also found that cranberry-enriched silicone substrates weakened the spread of Proteus mirabilis. According to the researchers, cranberry derivatives could be used to hinder the spread of germs in implantable medical devices such as catheters, which are frequently implicated in UTIs.
“Based on the demonstrated bioactivity of cranberry, its use in catheters and other medical devices could someday yield considerable benefits to patient health,” Tufenkji said.
The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the Canada Research Chairs program, the Wisconsin Cranberry Board, the Cranberry Institute and others funded the breakthrough research that could help in avoiding infections through medical devices.
The findings of the present study have been published in this month’s issue of the Canadian Journal of Microbiology.
Antioxidant benefits of Cranberries
Cranberries are a major disease-fighting antioxidant having vitamin C and fiber, and are only 45 calories per cup. One cup of whole cranberries has 8,983 total antioxidant capacity.
There are many health benefits of cranberries, and you can make them a part of your daily diet by eating the whole berry, drinking the juice, or taking a supplement. Here are ten health benefits of cranberries.
Past studies have shown that cranberry extracts can prevent breast cancer cells from multiplying, inhibit the development of cancerous cells in lab animals. Other cancers that may be prevented by using cranberries are colon, prostate and lung.
