Cranberries have shown health benefits for many years. People have used cranberries --- either cooked or raw --- to manage a variety of medical conditions. Scientists have performed studies to verify the role cranberry and cranberry juice in treating health conditions, and it appears that many of these benefits are more prominent in women. Drinking cranberry juice may positively affect many health problems in women.
Urinary Tract Infections
Cranberry juice may decrease the risk of urinary tract infections, which are more common in women; anatomical differences like a shorter urethra increase the likelihood of UTI. Cranberry juice makes the urine more acidic, which researchers thought killed any bacteria in the urine; however, further study showed that the cranberry actually stops the bacteria from adhering to the bladder wall, as noted by the University of Maryland Medical Center. All data does not fully support this belief; a recent study published in the January 2011 issue of the "Clinical Infectious Diseases" by Cibele Barbosa-Cesnik and colleagues found that women who drank cranberry juice daily did not have fewer repeat urinary tract infections when compared with women who did not drink the juice. Some physicians suggest that you should drink three ounces of pure cranberry juice or ten ounces of cranberry juice cocktail each day to lower your risk of UTI; however, this juice should not be used as a treatment for infection. You should discuss any urinary symptoms with your doctor or health care professional.
Oral Health
The same properties that keep bacteria from sticking to the walls of the bladder can also improve your oral health. Cranberry juice can make it difficult for the bacteria that cause cavities to gain traction on the teeth, according to the University of Rochester Medical Center. The Tel Aviv University created a mouthwash that contained cranberries to help fight cavities, as noted by Professor Itzhak Ofek in a January 2008 press release. Drinking cranberry juice may help protect your teeth, but you have to be careful of all of the sugar that cranberry juice contains. Sugar can cause cavities as well.
Body Detoxification
Cranberry juice has also been used to detoxify the body. The bacterial properties of cranberries create this positive effect, and the juice may help rid the body of bacteria and other waste products, as noted by Detox-for-Life.com. Cranberries also contain antioxidants that can help protect cells. Drinking one glass of 100 percent cranberry juice each day may help cleanse your body of harmful toxins. As with all detox diets, you should discuss any detoxification plans with your health care professional before starting one.
Prevention of Ulcers
Cranberry juice may also be able to prevent stomach ulcers. The bacteria Helicobacter pylori may be involved with the development of most stomach ulcers. Drinking a glass of cranberry juice each day lowered the number of these bacteria in the stomachs of people, according to a 2005 study by Lian Zhang and colleagues in the "Helicobacter" journal. Combining cranberry juice with the antibiotics used for ulcer therapy also increased the removal of the harmful bacteria from the stomach in women participating, as noted by the NYU Langone Medical Center. Getting rid of Helicobacter pylori can also lower the risk of stomach cancer, according to the CranberryInstitute.org. More research is needed to clarify the effect that cranberry juice has on stomach ulcers; you should discuss your cranberry juice intake with your doctor if you have stomach problems. Cranberry juice should not be used in lieu of a doctor's treatment for ulcers.
References
- MedLine Plus: Urinary Tract Infection - Adults
- Cranberry Juice Fails to Prevent Recurrent Urinary Tract Infection: Results From a Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial; "Clinical Infectious Diseases"; Cibele Barbosa-Cesnik and colleagues; 2011.
- University of Rochester Medical Center: Give Thanks for the Cranberry, Say Dental Researchers
- Detox-for-Life.com: How Does a Cranberry Juice Detox Diet Work?
- Tel Aviv University: Cranberries Really Are a Miracle Cure for Women; 2008.
- NYU Langone Medical Center: Cranberry
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