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Cranberries: Bacteria
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Cranberries contain a unique bacteria-blocking mechanism, known as antiadhesion, which may prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs) and other conditions in humans. Dogs ... frequently suffer from UTIs, and cats often experience inflammation of the urinary tract that can produce UTI-like symptoms. The American Animal Hospital Association notes that this is a serious health problem, and suggests that consumers try mixing one to two ounces of cranberry juice into the pet's food as a preventative measure. Cranberries also contain heart-healthy antioxidants, also frequently added to pet food products.
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Cranberries possess a unique ability to inhibit bacteria, including E. coli, from adhering to the urinary tract. This is why cranberry juice is often recommended to prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs). Cranberries ... contain hippuric acid, which is antibacterial and helpful for warding off UTIs.
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Packed with vitamin C, cranberries have an acidic property that was once thought to relieve urinary tract infections by acidifying the urine and creating an environment inhospitable to bacteria. Scientists now know that cranberries contain proanthocyanidins (PACs), which prevent the adhesion of bacteria to the urinary tract wall. These compounds can actually change the shape of disease-causing bacterium, making it impossible for them to bind to human cells and amass into an infection. Only the PACs in cranberries and their close relatives, blueberries, have this anti-adhesion effect. Research shows that the cranberry’s anti-adhesion properties are not limited to the urinary tract; they may ... inhibit the bacteria associated with stomach ulcers, acid reflux and gastritis, as well as kidney and bladder infections. PACs can fight a broad range of bacteria, including Staphylococcus, salmonella and E. coli, reducing the need for antibiotics.
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[One] study shows cranberries may offer a unique line of defense with their ability to reduce the growth of certain E. coli and other types of bacteria found in food and in the body. Researchers at the University of Maine added cranberry concentrate to samples of food tainted with several types of bacteria that frequently cause food related illness. After several days, scientists discovered that the cranberry concentrate significantly reduced the growth of certain E. coli and other bacteria in the food samples.
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"We are beginning to get a picture of cranberry juice and, in particular, the tannins found in cranberries, as potentially potent antibacterial agents," Camesano said. "These results are surprising and intriguing, particularly given the increasing concern about the growing resistance of certain disease-causing bacteria to antibiotics." For most of these effects, the higher the concentration of either cranberry juice or tannins, the greater their impact on E. coli, suggesting that whole cranberry products and juice that has not been highly diluted may have the greatest health effects.
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Compounds in cranberries called proanthocyanidins (PACs) have been known to "disable" certain harmful bacteria in the body, helping to ward off infections. For example, in the urinary tract, cranberry compounds disable certain E. coli bacteria so that they can't attach to bladder cells and are harmlessly flushed out of the body. Other data has suggested that this "anti-adhesion" mechanism of action found in cranberry PACs may ... help prevent certain bacteria from adhering to the stomach and the mouth, reducing the risk of stomach ulcers and gum diseases.
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