Archive for the ‘Cranberries’ Category
Urinary Tract Infection Cranberry Juice
Cranberries and Cranberry Juice have been well know for hundreds of years to be a help in fighting of urinary infections. It is particularly helpful in curing urinary tract infections (UTIs). Cranberries reduce the ability of certain E. coli bacteria to adhere to and penetrate the walls of the bladder.
In about half the cases of UTIs, the E. coli responsible have special little hairy tips called P fimbria. The bacteria use their fimbria to attach themselves to the bladder so that they can multiply and cause an infection. That’s where cranberries and cranberry juice, which contain a group of chemicals called proanthocyanidins, come in. These chemicals bind to the P fimbria of the E. coli and and make it difficult to stick to the walls of the bladder. As a result, the E. coli are flushed out in the urine instead of causing an infection. And because cranberries remove rather than kill the bacteria, there’s less of a chance for the E. coli to become resistant.
It’s an important nutritional tool for those who are prone to UTIs to whole cranberries or drink cranberry juice on a daily basis, because once the bacteria are able to adhere to the wall, the infection sets in, and the cranberries can’t help at that point. It’s probably best to use cranberry products twice a day if you are prone, as the nutritional effects of the cranberries are ineffective after about 10 hours. An excellent way to get cranberries into your system is in the form of smoothies. I use a cranberry, blueberry and blackberry recipe. With this formula you can add supplements to get even more nutritional and antioxidant power. Getting cranberries is rather easy since most stores carry them in the frozen food section.
Cranberries are also a good antioxidant. They have anti inflammatory and good overall anti bacterial qualities. They are just one more highly nutritious antioxidant fruit that needs to be in your diet.
Super Fruit and Berries 17.54 oz.You should also be diligent about drinking lots of fluids in order to flush the bladder out on a regular basis. Citrus fruits and fresh vegetables high in vitamin C are also good, as they help boost the body’s immunity and germ-fighting abilities. Coffee, tea and other caffeinated beverages should be avoided, as well as alcohol. Be sure to complement your diet with plenty of foods rich in vitamin B, such as whole grain cereals, asparagus, almonds and bananas, as they all assist the body in the digestive process and converting food to energy, which your body will need if it’s working to fend off a UTI.
Cranberries are one of the 26 fruits in Super Fruit and Berries our powerful antioxidant energy nutrition drink. This drink is one of the best antioxidant fruit formulas available today. It is highly balanced and nutritional dense.
Super Fruit & Berries
