CRANBERRY

Possible Applications:

• Infection
• Kidney Stones

Cranberry juice is recommended for the treatment of urinary tract infections.  There is a belief that the hippuric acid is responsible for the acidification of the urine and of its antibacterial effects; however, to acheive this effect with the hippuric acid you would need to drink a quart and smaller doses have been found sufficient.   The theory is that cranberry juice inhibits the ability of E.coli to adhere to the lining of the badder and the urethra.   Bacteria infect only after they adhere to the mucosa.  Cranberry juice interferes with this process.

In addition to its antibacterial effect, cranberry juice ionizes calcium in urine, thus reducing the recurrence of kidney stones in patients who have recurrent kidney stones.  There is no known toxicity for cranberry juice consumption.

ŠJamie Longstreet 1996-2004