Cranberry Benefits for Teeth

Researchers from the University of Rochester suggest cranberries may prevent tooth decay by inhibiting bacteria linked to cavities. An oral biologist and food scientist propose that cranberries might also prevent urinary tract infections by impeding pathogen adherence to the bladder's surface.

While this discovery encourages natural oral health support, caution is advised when purchasing cranberry juice. Many commercial varieties are essentially cranberry-flavored apple or grape juice, potentially containing high-fructose corn syrup, with authentic cranberry concentrate often listed last.

Despite apple and grape juices being healthier, those high in processed sugars lack cranberry's beneficial compounds, potentially promoting tooth decay. Some individuals may prefer the strong flavor of pure cranberry juice or opt for blends, avoiding those sweetened with processed sugars and diluted with cavity-inducing juices.

Further research is needed before endorsing cranberries as a tooth decay preventive. Alternatively, sugars like Xylose in "sugarless gums" already inhibit bacterial development, lacking sucrose and glucose associated with cavities.

Cranberries benefit those with chronic urinary tract infections due to Mannose, a monosaccharide sugar. Present in dietary supplements with essential sugars, Mannose prevents bacterial infection, providing a convenient option for enhancing nutrient intake while limiting non-beneficial food compounds.
Cranberry Benefits for Teeth

Medicinal Uses of Cranberries Juice

Medicinal Uses of Cranberries
Juice Cranberry is a strong diuretic, and the juice is often prescribed as dietary treatment for urinary tract infection, kidney disorders and other conditions where passing of fluids is desirable. Many women suffer from cystitis, an inflammation and injection of the bladder, at some time in their lives, with as many as one in five women estimated to have urinary tract discomfort at least once a year.

Cranberry can be used both as a preventive and as an adjunct treatment for urinary tract infection. Cranberry juice therapy may require drinking a liter of straight cranberry juice daily, which few are willing to do. Fortunately, cranberry capsules are easily swallowed. There are several theories to explain why cranberry is effective for maintaining urinary tract health: cranberry juice may make the urine more acidic, and the bacteria that cause infection are not likely to flourish in an acid environment; cranberries may cause relatively large amounts of the bacteriostatic hippuric acid to be excreted in the urine; component of the cranberry juice may interfere with the ability of bacteria to stick to the lining of the bladder and urethra, and so they are washed away in the urinary stream.

The last interpretation is generally favored today. It appears that the most common bacterium responsible for urinary tract infection, Escherichia coli, produces constituents known as adhesins to anchor to tissues, and that there are anti-adhesins factors in cranberry juice.
Medicinal Uses of Cranberries Juice

Cranberry Juice For Cavities? Be Careful Of What You’re Buying

Researchers at the University of Rochester have published information showing that the cranberry may be effective at preventing tooth decay. The research focuses on the inhibiting effect of some compounds found inside the cranberry against a key bacterium blamed in the formation of cavities.

"Scientists believe that one of the main ways that cranberries prevent urinary tract infections is by inhibiting the adherence of pathogens on the surface of the bladder. Perhaps the same is true in the mouth, where bacteria use adhesion molecules to hold onto teeth," says an oral biologist and food scientist at the university's medical center.

While this may sound like good news for those who are looking for natural ways to support their body, it’s very important to understand what’s in cranberry juice before making a purchase. Always remember to read the labels. Most cranberry juice is cranberry flavored apple juice. Sometimes it is also mixed with grape juice. Other ingredients may even include high-Fructose corn syrup. Towards the end of the ingredient list is found cranberry concentrate.

While, drinking apple juice and grape juice is probably a dietary improvement for most people, juices that are made with so much processed sugar are clearly little more than cranberry flavored juices. They’re unlikely to contain significant amounts of the compounds that make cranberries useful in the prevention of tooth decay and tend to contain large amounts of the compounds that are blamed on tooth decay.

Purer forms of cranberry juice have a very strong flavor. Some people can develop a taste for unsweetened cranberries, while other people can only handle cranberries when blended with some other juice. If choosing a cranberry blend, be sure to read the ingredient label and avoid juices that are sweetened with processed sugars and diluted with juices that are mostly the sugars that lead to cavities.

Further research will be necessary before cranberries can actually be promoted as a preventative for tooth decay. However others sugars such as Xylose, are already used in "sugarless gums" because of their proven ability to inhibit bacterial development on the surface of teeth. Such gums are of course called sugarless because they do not have sucrose and glucose which are the sugars associated with cavities.

Cranberries have also been shown to have beneficial effects for people with chronic urinary tract infections. The compound believed to be responsible for this is a simple monosaccharide sugar called Mannose. Identified in Harpers Biochemistry as one of eight sugars necessary for normal cellular function, Mannose has also been shown to prevent bacterial infection and development.

These necessary monosaccharide sugars can all be found in a single dietary supplement. It also contains the other sugars identified in Harpers Biochemistry, based of their importance in biological functions. This can provide a more convenient choice for people wishing to improve their diets by increasing their nutrient intake while limiting the intake of food compounds which are not beneficial to good health.
Cranberry Juice For Cavities? Be Careful Of What You’re Buying