Some women have had the experience of burning pain during urination, an indicator of a urinary tract infection or cystitis. Often, this is caused by the presence of bacteria in the bladder. However, a small, red fruit – the American cranberry – contains substances that can effectively combat the pain-causing bacteria.
The most frequent cause of cystitis is the presence of coli bacteria. These bacteria can travel from the anus, through the bladder, and settle in the urinary tract. If the immune system is not strong enough, the bacteria can begin to anchor in the tissue and attack neighboring cells.
Bladder Infections
Typical symptoms of cystitis include cramps and excessive urination. The bacteria can also settle in the renal pelvis, causing inflammation, requiring antibiotics for treatment. In the case of frequent urinary tract infections, however, bacteria may become immune and resist the active ingredients of the antibiotic.
With cranberry support, the duration of antibiotics therapy can be reduced by up to 6 days.
Cranberries reduce the antibiotics dosage
Now, the cranberry comes into play. More precisely, the cranberry’s essential nutrients – polyphenols. These polyphenols prevent the bacteria from anchoring in the urinary tract and ensure that fewer antibiotics are needed.
A Finnish study with 255 participants showed that adults and children alike benefit from cranberry consumption. The participants took cranberry extracts for one year. During the study, those who boosted their cranberry intake had considerably fewer urinary tract infections than those who did not consume cranberries. With cranberry consumption, the use of antibiotics could be reduced by up to 6 days.
70 % of germs cannot settle in the tissue
Furthermore, researchers have found that tcranberry’s active ingredients can reduce the “docking” of antibiotic-resistant germs to the bladder tissue by 70 %. If you have a serious urinary tract infection and must treat it with antibiotics, it is therefore essential to consider supplementary cranberry treatment, or even consuming the small, red berry as a preventive measure.
