[Effects of Cranberry] Good for Urinary Tract? 3 Benefits of Cranberry

Hello, I am Jinny, a pharmacist.

Have you ever had a small amount of urine, but felt the need to urinate frequently or felt so urgent that you couldn't hold it in? This is a typical symptom of urinary tract infection, and is called cystitis, pyelonephritis, etc. depending on the infected area. Due to women's anatomical characteristics of having a shorter length between the anus and the urethra, women are known to be more vulnerable to urinary tract infections than men.

The cause of urinary tract infections is harmful bacteria, including E. coli, that exist around the digestive tract, vagina, and urethra. Harmful bacteria attach to the urinary tract mucosa, form colonies, and gradually travel up from the urethra to the bladder and kidneys, causing infection.

Therefore, today I would like to introduce you to cranberries, a magical fruit that can help with urinary tract infections.

Cranberries have long been used to prevent and treat urinary tract infections and are widely known in Korea as a good ingredient for women and for cystitis. This is because a component called ‘proanthocyanidin’ contained in cranberries inhibits the adsorption of harmful bacteria to the urinary tract mucosa.

A research paper published in 2008 reported that consumption of cranberry extract lowers the incidence of urinary tract infections.

Not only that. Cranberries contain a variety of polyphenols, which works as antioxidants. Therefore, in North America, where cranberries originate, the value of cranberries was recognized early on and used as a health food. Especially in the United States, cranberry juice is as common as milk.

In 2011, a research paper was published in Nutrition Research in which American researchers verified the effect of low-calorie cranberry juice intake on factors such as lipid oxidation in subjects suffering from metabolic syndrome.

‘Coronary arteries’ refer to the two-branched blood vessels that supply blood to the heart. The phenomenon in which cholesterol and other substances are deposited on the blood vessel walls of arteries, including coronary arteries, causing them to become thicker and harder is called ‘atherosclerosis.’ It has been clinically shown to cause diseases such as angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, heart failure, or sudden death. Therefore, you need to carefully monitor your eating habits and manage risk factors such as high blood pressure and diabetes.

A research paper published in 2011 studied the effects of cranberry juice consumption on vascular function in subjects with coronary artery disease and reported as follows:

Today we learned about three benefits of cranberries. In regard to urinary tract health, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has recognized the functionality of cranberry extract as ‘it can help urinary tract health by inhibiting the adsorption of harmful bacteria in the urinary tract.’ Therefore, if you are suffering from urinary tract infections, it may be a good idea to look into this functional raw material.

I hope you have a healthy day both physically and mentally. This was Jinny.