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Herbs & Supplements
Arandano
Scientific Name: Cranberry
Other Names: American Cranberry, Mossberry, Vaccinium species
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Uses
Cranberries and cranberry juice have long been used to fight urinary tract infections (UTIs). In the 1800s, early researchers believed that cranberry products made the urine acidic, thereby killing organisms that need alkaline urine to survive. However, approximately 4 quarts of cranberry juice or about 3 pounds of cranberries per day would be needed to maintain an acid level high enough to kill bacteria in the bladder. Today, chemicals in cranberries are believed to prevent infective organisms from attaching to the bladder and other parts of the urinary tract. The ability of cranberries to eliminate already-attached bacteria is limited, so cranberry products are more effective at preventing UTIs than treating them. Studies have shown that drinking between one ounce and 10 ounces of cranberry juice per day can help prevent UTIs from returning in women who are prone to having UTIs. Cranberry may also reduce the ammonia smell of urine by reducing the number of both bacteria and white blood cells in it.
Components of cranberries may also be active against other types of infections. Results of some recent human studies show that drinking cranberry juice may increase the effectiveness of antibiotic therapy for H. pylori, the bacterium that causes gastrointestinal ulcers. Other research has found that applying chemicals in cranberries inside the mouth helps to prevent dental cavities and gum disease by disrupting the attachment of bacteria. Whether drinking cranberry juice or eating cranberries have antibacterial effects in the mouth is not yet known.
In laboratory and animal studies, cranberries have shown some heart protective and anti-cancer effects, as well. Cranberries contain high percentages of chemicals known as flavonoids and phenols, which both act as antioxidants in the body. Antioxidants moderate a chemical process called oxidation, which produces oxygen free radicals, natural chemicals that may suppress immune function and damage body cells. Both heart disease and cancer may be worsened by oxygen free radicals. Laboratory studies indicate that antioxidants such as those in cranberries may prevent the formation of arterial plaques (deposits of fats and blood cells that may block arteries), relax blood vessels, and keep cancer cells from spreading. Additional laboratory and human research suggests that cranberries may also lower cholesterol by interfering with the transport of dietary fats. However, much more research is needed to prove or disprove these effects for humans.
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Note: The above information is not intended to replace the advice of your physician, pharmacist, or other healthcare professional. It is not meant to indicate that the use of the product is safe, appropriate, or effective for you.
In general, herbal products are not subject to review or approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). They are not required to be standardized, meaning that the amounts of active ingredients or contaminants they contain may vary between brands or between different batches of the same brand. Not all of the risks, side effects, or interactions associated with the use of herbal products are known because few reliable studies of their use in humans have been done.
This information is provided for your education only. Please share this information with your healthcare provider and be sure that you talk to your doctor and pharmacist about all the prescription and non-prescription medicines you take before you begin to use any herbal product.
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