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Cranberries: Superfoods for Urinary Tract Health
- By Deborah Dera
- Published 05/28/2008
- Health & Medicine
- Unrated
Deborah Dera
Freelance writer and blogger. The world is my muse - I have alot to say and I'm just waking up! Visit my writing blog at http://www.therhythmofwrite.com.
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Cranberries are one kind of natural food that can be useful in handling urinary tract infections (UTIs). Cranberries contain certain elements in them that help the body to mitigate the effect of E.coli bacteria that is responsible for the infection. The E. coli bacteria will try to stick to the urinary tract and later penetrates it. Cranberries can prevent this penetration.
The E.coli bacteria are responsible for the urinary tract infection. The bacteria have little hairs known as P fimbria, which support the bacteria that stick to the bladder. The bacteria that adhere to the bladder will multiply there, thus causing a dangerous infection. Cranberries help by providing the body with a chemical called proanthocyanidins. These chemical elements tie themselves to the fimbria and negate their ability to attach to the bladder. As a result, the bacteria are instead disposed of in the urine. Thus the cranberries assist the body to avoid an infection preventing diseases. The most important thing to remember is that the proanthocyanidins are only a removal tool for the bacteria, so there are no concerns that the bacteria will form immunities to the chemical.
People who are easily affected by urinary tract infections can find cranberries very beneficial. Having cranberries or drinking cranberry juice every day will aid in preventing urinary tract infections. It should be clearly noted that the ingestion of cranberries can only help to prevent
the problem. Cranberries are unable to cure the disease once it has started to develop. Once the bacteria causes the infection, the ingestion of cranberries will not do anything about removing it from the wall.
If you know you are susceptible to urinary tract infections, you should consider consuming cranberries or cranberry juice at least twice day.. It should be noted is that the protective effect of the cranberry, once eaten, will last only for 10 hours. This is why it is recommended that they be eaten at least twice every day.
Of course, eating cranberries won't be enough to avoid all urinary tract infections. There should be enough water in the body to dispose of the bacteria every day, so anyone with a tendency towards infection should be careful to drink enough fluids. Foods which are rich in vitamin C, such as citrus and fresh vegetables, can be very advantageous as they usually increase the body's immune power and germ killing abilities. Other drinks such as coffee, tea, and alcohol should be completely removed from the diet because they may prove harmful. Vitamin B included in foods like lean proteins, almonds, asparagus, bananas, and fortified cereals are very beneficial as they increase digestion and give more energy for better protection of the urinary tract.
As always, be sure to consult your physician or health care practitioner if you think you may be developing, or are currently suffering from, a urinary tract infection. These infections can be very painful and difficult to manage without proper medical supervision.
The E.coli bacteria are responsible for the urinary tract infection. The bacteria have little hairs known as P fimbria, which support the bacteria that stick to the bladder. The bacteria that adhere to the bladder will multiply there, thus causing a dangerous infection. Cranberries help by providing the body with a chemical called proanthocyanidins. These chemical elements tie themselves to the fimbria and negate their ability to attach to the bladder. As a result, the bacteria are instead disposed of in the urine. Thus the cranberries assist the body to avoid an infection preventing diseases. The most important thing to remember is that the proanthocyanidins are only a removal tool for the bacteria, so there are no concerns that the bacteria will form immunities to the chemical.
People who are easily affected by urinary tract infections can find cranberries very beneficial. Having cranberries or drinking cranberry juice every day will aid in preventing urinary tract infections. It should be clearly noted that the ingestion of cranberries can only help to prevent
If you know you are susceptible to urinary tract infections, you should consider consuming cranberries or cranberry juice at least twice day.. It should be noted is that the protective effect of the cranberry, once eaten, will last only for 10 hours. This is why it is recommended that they be eaten at least twice every day.
Of course, eating cranberries won't be enough to avoid all urinary tract infections. There should be enough water in the body to dispose of the bacteria every day, so anyone with a tendency towards infection should be careful to drink enough fluids. Foods which are rich in vitamin C, such as citrus and fresh vegetables, can be very advantageous as they usually increase the body's immune power and germ killing abilities. Other drinks such as coffee, tea, and alcohol should be completely removed from the diet because they may prove harmful. Vitamin B included in foods like lean proteins, almonds, asparagus, bananas, and fortified cereals are very beneficial as they increase digestion and give more energy for better protection of the urinary tract.
As always, be sure to consult your physician or health care practitioner if you think you may be developing, or are currently suffering from, a urinary tract infection. These infections can be very painful and difficult to manage without proper medical supervision.