Cranberry Juice Consumption Prevents Urinary Tract Infections
Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) occur when bacteria (primarily Escherichia coli) adhere o the uroepithelial cells that line the bladder, kidney or urethra and then multiply.
Bacterial adhesion to uroepithelial cells requires the production of a set of structures called p-fimbriae on the cell walls of the colonizing bacteria. Adhesion leads to colonization of the urinary tract epithelium and destruction of the lining of the bladder, as well as inflammation and rupturing of the underlying blood vessels, causing blood in the urine on some cases.
The resultant inflammation promotes a painful burning sensation; persistent, untreated UTI can lead to cystitis and pyelonephritis, which can ultimately lead to the loss of one or both kidneys.
UTIs are common, with approximately 60% of American women being affected in their lifetime.
Persistent infections often require ongoing treatment with expensive antibiotics that necessitate visits to a physician and immense costs to the health care system.
Persons at high risk for developing a UTI include the elderly, those who are parapalegic and quadrapalegic.
Folk medicine has long supported the use of cranberry juice for treatment of UTIs, although the mechanism for this effect has been difficult to determine.
Consumption of cranberry juice provides a way for affected persons to cost-effectively treat their disease independently of the health care system.
Cranberry Juice Consumption Prevents Urinary Tract Infections
