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Cranberry - The Best Antioxidant Source |
Written by Nutrovitasub nutrovitasub
Tuesday, 25 April 2006
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CRANBERRY The Cranberry bush (Vaccinium Macrocarpon) is a low-growing evergreen shrub with leathery leaves and bright-red berries. This member of the heath family grows in mountains, forests, and damp bogs. The medicinal properties of Cranberry have been recognized for centuries. Native Americans used raw Cranberries as a wound dressing. Early settlers from England learned to use the Cranberry both raw and cooked for a number of ailments including appetite loss, blood disorders, digestive problems, and vitamin C deficiency that causes weakness, gum disease, and spontaneous bleeding in the skin. Cranberries are rich in numeric valuable acids including citric, malic, quinic, and other acids. They also contain flavonoids, anthocyanins, ellagic acid, and vitamin C. Because of their tannin content the Cranberries possess a natural astringency. The "Quinic acid" in Cranberry is excreted unchanged in the urine, which becomes sufficiently acidic to prevent the formation of kidney stones. Cranberries are rich in Polyphenolic antioxidants that protect against cancer and cardiovascular disease. The Proanthocyanidins and other compounds inhibit the oxidation of LDL cholesterol, while Cranberry powder has been observed to decrease the LDL cholesterol levels with elevated blood cholesterol levels. The Proanthocyanidins in Cranberries are known to inhibit tumor growth. Cranberry may be beneficial to those with UTI or other sources of incontinence, as well as those with bladder catheterization. Cranberry juice has also been shown to reduce the amount of ionized calcium, a major cause of kidney stone formation, in the urine of people with recurrent kidney stones by more than 50 percent. Because Cranberry fights bacteria, it has been suggested that cranberry juice can be used as a mouthwash. However, if you want to try gargling with Cranberry juice, try a sugar-free variety; cranberry juice often contains a lot of sugar, and may actually work against good oral hygiene by promoting tooth decay. It was commonly believed that Cranberry juice was effective because it acidified the urine. The high acidity was believed to prevent bacterial growth. However, recent research supports the notion that Cranberries contain substances that prevent the adhesion of Escherichia coli and other bacteria to the lining of the urinary tract. The bacteria adhere to the urinary tract by way of many fimbriae, hairlike projections on the surface of the bacteria. This allows the bacteria to colonize in large numbers and produce an infection. Recently research shows that Proanthocyanidins in Cranberry juice inhibit the E. coli from adhering to the lining. BENEFITS OF CRANBERRY Cranberry has long been recommended as a preventive measure against repeated urinary tract infections. It is also taken to prevent kidney stones and "bladder gravel". The Cranberry appears to possess many precious benefits for human health. It was found that a Cranberry fraction disabled some strains of Helicobacter Pylori-which is the major cause of gastric and duodenal ulcers, so that they could not stick to the epithelial surface. Through this mechanism Cranberries could help prevent ulcers. A Cranberry mixture also reduces the stickiness of oral bacteria and may be useful for delaying the development of dental plaque and gum disease. Cranberry prevents E. coli--the most common cause of urinary tract infections--from adhering to the wall of the bladder, making it difficult for infection to take hold. Cranberry juice may also prevent the formation of certain types of kidney stones. A glass or two of cranberry juice every day for one to two weeks will increase the acidity of the urine and decrease the risk of a kidney stone forming. Researchers have also found that Cranberry juice may deodorize urine, a real boon for individuals who suffer from incontinence. Other beneficial effects of the ubiquitous Cranberry include: Raising HDL good cholesterol, corresponding to an approximately 40 percent reduction in risk of heart disease; increasing antioxidant levels; inducing cancer cells to undergo apoptosis - programmed cell death. American physicians successfully applied crushed Cranberries to tumors and wounds. They also used Cranberries as a remedy for the age-old malady known as scurvy, a disease caused by a lack of vitamin C. It wasn't too surprising, therefore, when scientists discovered that Cranberries contain plentiful stores of this common antioxidant vitamin. Recently researchers discovered that a compound in Cranberry juice is effective against various plaque-forming bacteria that can bind to teeth and cause gingivitis and gum disease. USES OF CRANBERRY Cranberry juice may helpful for people with spinal paralysis. Cranberry's regular consumption is supposed to reduce the rate of urinary tract infections. Cranberry appears to competitively inhibit bacterial attachment to the bladder and urethra which is supported by a number of double-blind clinical trials. Cranberry is used to treat and prevent urinary tract infections of the bladder and urethra (the tube that drains urine from the bladder Cranberries also prevent a microorganism known as Helicobacter pylori from adhering to cell walls. Cranberries may help prevent bacteria from adhering to gums and around the teeth. Article Source: http://www.ArticleBlast.com |
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