It has long been known that cranberries prevent urinary tract infections. Now research is being done that suggests that cranberries may also prevent E. coli infections.
8 Ounces of Cranberry Juice Cocktail Twice a Day
According to a study published in 2002 (Howell), 8 ounces of cranberry juice cocktail every morning and evening should help prevent an E. coli infection. The research conducted jointly between Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey and the University of Michigan, looked at the affect of cranberry juice cocktail on E. coli adhesion in the urinary tract. Urine samples from healthy men and women were taken. Some of these people had consumed 8 ounces of cranberry juice cocktail. The urine was allowed to interact with urinary tract cells that had been exposed to E. coli. The urine of the people who had consumed the cranberry juice prevented 79% of the bacteria from sticking to the urinary tract cells. The study also found that cranberry juice cocktail’s beneficial effect may start within two hours and can last for up to 10 hours in the urine, which would mean an 8 ounce glass of cranberry juice cocktail every morning and evening might help prevent an E. coli infection.
How Cranberry Juice Affects E. coli
Research at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (Liu) found that a group of tannins (called proanthocyanidins) found primarily in cranberries affect E. coli in three devastating ways, all of which prevent the bacteria from adhering to cells in the body, a necessary first step in all infections:
- They change the shape of the bacteria from rods to spheres.
- They alter their cell membranes.
- They make it difficult for bacteria to make contact with cells, or from latching on to them should they get close enough.
For most of these effects, the impact on bacteria was stronger the higher the concentration of either cranberry juice or the tannins, suggesting that whole cranberry products and juice that has not been highly diluted may have the greatest health effects.
Disclaimer: Cranberry juice cocktail is a food, not a drug, nor should it be used in place of a drug. Anyone who suspects an infection should always consult a physician. Cranberry juice cocktail should not be used as a treatment for infection, but may be an effective part of a prevention routine.
References:
1. Amy B. Howell and Betsey Foxman, Cranberry Juice and Adhesion of Antibiotic-Resistant Uropathogens, Journal of the American Medical Association, 2002, 287, 3082-3083.
2. Liu, Y., Black, M.A., Caron, L., and T.A. Camesano. Role of cranberry juice on molecular-scale surface characteristics and adhesion of Escherichia coli, Biotechnology and Bioengineering. 2006, 93, 297-305.
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