A specific type of tannin found only in cranberries and blueberries interacts with the little projections on the Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria (the most common cause of UTI), preventing them from sticking to the walls of the bladder and causing infection.

A new study published in the journal Colloids and Surfaces: B looks into the effect of cranberry juice on the bugs in the urinary tract in closer detail. Apparently, cranberry juice changes the thermodynamic properties of bacteria in the urinary tract, creating an energy barrier that prevents the microorganisms from getting close enough to latch onto cells and initiate an infection.

For the fimbriaed bacteria, they found that even at low concentrations, cranberry juice altered two properties that serve as indicators of the ability of bacteria to attach to cells. The first factor is called Gibbs free energy of attachment, which is a measure of the amount of energy that must be expended before a bacterium can attach to a cell. Without cranberry juice, this value was a negative number, indicating that energy would be released and attachment was highly likely. With cranberry juice the number was positive and it grew steadily as the concentration of juice increased, making attachment to urinary tract cells increasingly unlikely.

The good thing about using cranberry juice to treat UTI is that, apparently, it does not have any effect on non-fimbriaed (in other words, non-pathogenic) bacteria. The authors of the study also found out that when E. coli. bacteria that have been treated with cranberry juice are placed in normal growth media, they regain the ability to adhere to urinary tract cells. This implies that regular, perhaps daily, consumption of cranberry juice may be necessary to fully benefit from the antibacterial properties of cranberry juice. And for those who are watching their calorie intake, the researchers say that the sugar-free versions of cranberry juice are just as good!

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How Cranberry Juice Prevent Urinary Tract Infections

Want to know how? Scientists have employed sophisticated methods and tools such as the atomic force microscope to probe into it and have found that the compounds prevent the bacteria E. coli from adhering to cells in the body (a necessary first step in infections) in several ways.

Read more details here.

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Thanksgiving and Cranberry Sauce

A new study presented by researchers from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) during the the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society in San Francisco last week suggests that a group of tannins called proanthocyanidins found primarily in cranberries may affect potentially pathogenic bacteria in three ways:

• They change the shape of the bacteria from rods to spheres.
• They alter their cell membranes.
• They make it difficult for bacteria to make contact with cells, or from latching on to them should they get close enough.

Collectively, this makes is difficult for bacteria to adhere to the host cells and iniate infection. Just how much cranberry juice does one need to reap the benefits? Recommended doses range from 90 to 480 milliliters (3 to 16 ounces) of cranberry cocktail twice daily, or 15 to 30 milliliters of unsweetened 100% cranberry juice daily. See my previous entry on cranberry juice and bladder infections for more details.

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Cranberry Juice Helps Fight Infections, But How?

A specific type of tannin found only in cranberries and blueberries interacts with the little projections on the Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria (the most common cause of UTI), preventing them from sticking to the walls of the bladder and causing infection.

If you’re up for more scientific reading, read the report from the American Academy of Family Physicians.

How much are you supposed to drink? This article from the Mayo Clinic offers guide based on scientific research and publications:

Recommended doses range from 90 to 480 milliliters (3 to 16 ounces) of cranberry cocktail twice daily, or 15 to 30 milliliters of unsweetened 100% cranberry juice daily. 300 milliliters per day (10 ounces) of commercially available cranberry cocktail (Ocean Spray®) has been used in well-designed research.

Other forms of cranberry used include capsules, concentrate and tinctures. Between one and six 300 to 400 milligram capsules of hard gelatin concentrated cranberry juice extract, twice daily by mouth, given with water 1 hour before meals or 2 hours after meals has been used. One and a half ounces of frozen juice concentrate twice daily by mouth has been used, as well as 4 to 5 milliliters of cranberry tincture three times daily by mouth. One study suggests that 500 milliliters of cranberry juice with 1500 milliliters of water was sufficient in helping prevent the formation of oxalate kidney stones.

Remember though, that this is for the prevention of bladder infections. Once the infection sets in, cranberry juice may no longer help.

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Cranberry Juice Against Bladder Infections