Research Demonstrates Exactly How Cranberry Works in Preventing UTIs

(Newswire.net — July 20, 2022) Orlando, FL — The scientific community has been investigating the best possible remedies for urinary tract infections (UTIs), which is extremely common in women.

This type of infection is undeniably a burden to the healthcare system. As a matter of fact, it accounts for over two billion dollars in treatment costs annually. Research warns that about 90 percent of all UTI cases are caused by the E.coli bacteria.  

In a study, which was published in the Journal of Medicinal Food, it has been found that cranberries may be helpful.  

Antibiotics are the primary line of defense against this infection. However, it is also worth noting that this medication is linked with side effects. It messes up the levels of beneficial bacteria in the gut, and this leads to various undesirable health consequences. 

These include wreaking havoc on the immune system, which is significantly influenced by gut health. Further, this type of medication can also cause antibiotic resistance, which experts warn against. 

It is worth stressing that individuals suffering from the infection have long resorted to this plant-based remedy called cranberry. It has been found to have chemicals that work wonders in preventing infection-causing bacteria like E.coli from latching onto the cells lining the urinary tract.  

In this research, the chemicals called proanthocyanidins (PACs) have been able to demonstrate their ability to prevent E.coli. 

The researchers of this study are Paola Pinzón-Arango, Yatao Liu, and Terri Camesano, from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, in Massachusetts.

They exposed E. coli grown in culture to either light cranberry juice cocktails or cranberry PACs. They then measured the level of adhesion between the bacteria and a silicon surface through atomic force microscopy. 

It has been found that the longer the exposure was to either the cranberry juice or the PACS of the bacteria, the more significant the decrease in bacterial attachment. 

The title of the article is “Role of Cranberry on Bacterial Adhesion Forces and Implications for Escherichia coli—Uroepithelial Cell Attachment.” 

Scientists continue to investigate the impacts of using various remedies against this infection. It is also worth noting that some all-natural ingredients like cranberry may be helpful, and this is due to the therapeutic sugar it contains called D-mannose.

Formulas like Purest Vantage D-mannose are widely resorted to nowadays and are used by individuals who do not want to rely on antibiotics.

It is further worth noting that in some studies, D-mannose is found to be helpful in preventing the onset of the infection (http://www.amazon.com/Mannose-Capsules-600mg-Per-Cap/dp/B071J35CP5).