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Cranberry has long been used to treat urinary tract infections, and research confirms this form of therapy. Cranberries contain proanthocyanidins that inhibit the ability of bacteria to ‘stick’ to the urinary tract wall. There is growing evidence that cranberry may have other health benefits as well. Cranberry contains antioxidant phenols. They also have probiotic qualities and are being studied for dental as well as cardiovascular benefit. Unlike cranberry beverages that contain large amounts of processed sugar, AIM CranVerry® has no added sugar, and delivers only the benefit of pure cranberry concentrate
Urinary tract health
Cranberry has long been used to treat urinary tract infections (UTIs), and recent research is beginning to bear this out. The kidneys make urine, which consists of about 95 percent water and 5 percent urea and various salts. This urine exits the kidney via long, thin tubes called ureters. The ureters (one from each kidney) drain into the bladder. When the bladder fills, you get a signal that it is time to urinate. The urine passes out of your body through a canal called the urethra. Anything that interferes with this flow may cause the urine to back up and stagnate in the bladder, making the urinary tract vulnerable to infection. About 20 percent of women will experience a urinary tract infection sometime during their lives. Of those, 80 percent will have another within 18 months. The incidence in men is less, although the risk increases substantially with age in both sexes. These infections are caused by the introduction of bacteria into the urinary tract, usually Escherichia coli (E. coli). Once inside, they thrive in the warm, moist environment. Ultimately, they begin to affect urine production and the function of the bladder, resulting in painful or frequent urination, nausea, and fever.
Cranberries may also act as natural “probiotics” by enabling the good bacteria in the GI tract to thrive, while inhibiting the bad bacteria that promote infections and food-borne illnesses. A study at the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that whole, frozen cranberries contained compounds that inhibited the growth of common food-borne pathogens but enhanced the growth of a beneficial bacterium by as much as 25 times.
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