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CRANBERRY – FOOD AS MEDICINE
Article by herbalist Dave
Hawkins, MH, CNC
As always around the holidays, I like to
write about topics that have some significance with how we
use particular foods or plants. The term functional food is
a term that denotes that a food’s chemical makeup has
components that support the health of the body, or it can
be used therapeutically to treat existing disease
processes. Today’s article will be about
cranberries and how they have been
used historically as food and
medicine. We will look at current research and
applications.
Cranberry (Vaccinium
macrocarpon) a close
relative of the American blueberry, huckleberry
and bilberry, has been eaten as part of our Thanksgiving
and Christmas feast. This came about when the
pilgrims learned about cranberries from the American
Indians; they used it as a spread on breads.
Cranberry medicinal properties were
discovered in the Eighteenth Century, but its
use for urinary bladder infections and
kidney stones became more prevalent in the later part of
this century. In 1959 it was noted that the residents of
Cape Cod, Massachusetts,
used cranberry juice for bladder infections.
While scientists knew about the many constituents
of cranberry in the 1920s, one being
hippuric acid, early theories about how it worked
have been proven wrong. It was believed that cranberry
juice acidified the urine therefore preventing bacterial
growth, one of the causes of urinary tract infections (UTIs).
Urinary tract inflections account
for approximately 5.2 million physician office visits
yearly. Women are the primary candidates for
UTIs, with one in five having
had at least one in their lifetime. Recurrence
happens in approximately 20% of all cases.
These recurring infections can lead to more
serious conditions like kidney infections and
scarring of the bladder wall.
Although most bladder infections
are not serious, it is important to be properly
diagnosed, treated and monitored. The conventional
approach is to prescribe antibiotics, but there
is evidence that shows continued use of antibiotic
therapy can actually be the cause for
recurrent infections due to imbalances created
from their overuse. Healthy bacteria live on the bladder
lining, and it needs to be replaced if antibiotic therapy
is utilized.
The bacteria E. coli, Escherichia coli,
causes over 90% of UTIs. These
bacteria adhere to the bladder wall lining and cause
inflammation which causes increased urinary frequency and
low abdominal pain. In 1984 it was proven by A. E.
Sobota of Youngstown State University that the acidifying theory
of cranberry was wrong. It takes a lot to acidify the urine
enough to make any significance to the E. coli bacteria.
What was discovered was that
cranberry prevented E. coli from adhering to the bladder
wall lining. If E. coli can't adhere, there is
no infection. In a 1994 Harvard Medical School large scale, randomized,
double blind placebo controlled study; clinical
evidence again proves the effectiveness
with the use of cranberry juice or its extracts for
UTIs. Another more recent study
done this year as reported in the Integrative Medicine
Consult suggests that cranberry can be safely recommended
as a dietary approach for general urinary tract health
maintenance. It further stated that all members of the
vaccinium family helped prevent
E. coli adherence.
The primary goal of a natural approach to
UTIs is to enhance the
body’s own natural defense system.
Specifically, this is done in conjunction with
drinking at least 64 ounces of water,
promoting a PH that will inhibit bacterial growth
and using herbs that will support antibacterial actions and
boost the immune.
Let's look first at increasing
fluid intake. It is important to avoid
soft drinks, coffee and alcoholic beverages
during UTIs. Sugar has been
implicated in suppressing the immune system and
contributing to bacterial growth, so it is important to use
cranberry juice which is either unsweetened or sweetened
with other fruit juices. It is
recommended that one drink at least 16 ounces of
cranberry juice per day to be effective.
Altering PH of the urine is the
next step. There is controversy in whether to
acidify or alkalinize the urine. It is very difficult to
acidify the urine; and it appears that alkaline urine is
more effective, especially when there are no pathogenic
bacteria present. The uses of potassium and/or sodium
citrate have proven positive results. Another advantage to
alkalization is that many herbs used to treat
UTIs, such as goldenseal or
uva ursi,
contain antibacterial components that are more effective in
an alkaline environment.
Lets
look at a few herbs that will work in conjunction with
cranberry juice:
Echinacea is used to activate
specific functions of the immune system and to
provide longer-term immune activity. This is used to help
prevent recurring infections.
Uva
Ursi, or otherwise known as
bearberry or upland cranberry, has been shown
to be especially active against E. coli
and has mild diuretic properties. The constituent
arbutin is one of the active
compounds and has antiseptic properties. Research has shown
that the crude extract to be more effective
than the isolated arbutin.
Goldenseal is used for its
antimicrobial properties due to the compound
berberine. It has been used
historically and has been the subject of numerous
researched studies for UTIs.
It is not intended for long-term use, however.
Goldenrod has been proven to be
effective because of its antiseptic properties
and is widely used in Europe
for all urinary inflammations and to prevent kidney stones.
Marshmallow Root, because it is
classified as a demulcent and soothing to all
mucus linings, it works more as an anti-inflammatory for
UTIs and will provide quick
relief.
As you can see, the use of foods as
medicine has been a part of our human culture
for millennia. I think it is wise to utilize these foods on
a regular basis as a way to prevent many of our
common ailments.
If you suffer from these conditions, it is
important to seek advice from your health care practitioner
for proper treatment protocols. Enjoy your cranberries at
your holiday feast now knowing their importance.
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