Nomenclature:
· Scientific name (binomial): Vaccinium macrocarpon
· Family Name Ericaceae
· Common name: American cranberry, cranberry, bearberry
Part(s) Used: Fruit (the berries) (NCCIH, 2016)
Taste/odor: tart, bitter, astringent (Blumberg et al., 2013; Neto & Vinson, 2011)
Energetics: drying, cooling
Actions: antibacterial, antiviral, antimutagenic, anticarcinogenic, antitumorigenic, antiangiogenic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and cardioprotective (Blumberg et al, 2013; Neto & Vinson, 2011; Hoffman, 2003)
Traditional uses: Cranberries have been widely used for many years to prevent and treat urinary tract infections (UTIs). Native Americans were the first to use cranberries as food as well as medicine for stomach and liver problems, urinary tract infection, blood disorders, wound, and even the production of dye. (Raz et al., 2004; Shin, 2014). Native Americans introduced cranberries and their numerous uses to European colonizers that later integrated them into thanksgiving gifts, started mass cultivation, and exporting them to England (Pengelly, n.d.). According to NICCIH (2016), “historically, cranberry fruits or leaves were used for bladder, stomach, and liver disorders, as well as diabetes, wounds, and other conditions” (NCCIH, 2016).
Therapeutic uses (indications): urinary tract infection, cardiovascular disease, periodontal disease, blood disorders, stomach ailments, liver problems, swelling of the glands of the throat in scarlet fever and other diseases, cancerous ulcers, gouty rheumatism. (Felter & Lloyd, 1898; Blumberg et al., 2013; Raz et al., 2004)
Preparations and Dose:
Unsweetened cranberry juice: dose can vary depending on its use.
· 100 - 300 ml of juice daily if it is to treat UTI (Pengelly, n.d.)
· 30 ml of juice daily if it is for preventative measures only (Pengelly, n.d.)
Concentrated cranberry extract capsules: 200 mg capsule of concentrated cranberry extract, twice a day for 12 weeks (Bailey et al, 2007)
Scientific section: Majority of human intervention studies have been conducted with cranberry juice/tablets on women with recurring UTIs. Stother’s randomized, double-blind, controlled study, conducted for one year on 150 sexually active women with recurrent UTI between the ages of 21 to 72, compared the effectiveness of concentrated cranberry tablets+ placebo juice, versus pure unsweetened cranberry juice + placebo tablets, versus placebo juice+ placebo tablets against UTI. The tablets were taken twice a day and the 250 ml of juice was taken three times a day. The results found that both cranberry juice and cranberry tables were effective and found the UTI occurrence to be 18% in the group that used the concentrated cranberry tablets, 20% in the group that used the cranberry juice, and 32% for the group that used the placebo (Stother, 2002). This study suggests that cranberries decrease the occurrence of UTIs and no adverse effects have been reported. Another pilot study conducted on 12 women between the ages of 25 to70, concluded that the use of concentrated cranberry tablets can treat/prevent UTIs in women with a history of recurrent UTIs. These women had at least 6 UTIs in the prior year, but after using 200 mg of concentrated tables for twice a day, 8 of the participants that continue to use cranberry were free from UTIs during the study and up to their two years follow up. Also the study noted that during the study, none of the participants experienced UTI as well as any adverse events. (Bailey et al., 2007)
Safety: Cranberries are generally considered safe and records indicate that they are effective for the treatment and prevention of UTI. Although cranberries are considered safe, there are few studies that point out possible adverse events. A study from 2009 noted that mild gastrointestinal intolerance, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and gastric reflux were present after the use of cranberries (Guay, 2009). No concerns have been reported thus far with the use of cranberries during pregnancy and lactation, however it is advised to limit the consumption of cranberries for infants and young children (Dugoua et al., 2008). Lastly, no significant herb-drug reactions have been reported with the consumption of cranberries (Lynch, 2004).
References
Bailey, D., Dalton, C., Daugherty, J., Tempesta, M. (2007). Can a concentrated cranberry extract prevent recurrent urinary tract infections in women? A pilot study. Phytomedicine, 14, 237-24. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0944711307000086?via%3Dihub
Blumberg, J. B., Camesano, T. A., Cassidy, A., Kris-Etherton, N. P., Howell, A., Manach, C., Ostertag, L., Sies, H., Skulas-Ray, A., & Vita, J.A. (2013). Cranberries and their bioactive constituents in human health, Advances in Nutrition, 4, 618–632. https://doi.org/10.3945/an.113.004473
Dugoua, J.J., Seely, D., Perri, D., Mills, E., & Koren, G. (2008). Safety and efficacy of cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) during pregnancy and lactation. The Canadian Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 15, 80–86. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18204103
Felter, H.W. & Llyod, J.U. (1898). King's American Dispensatory. Retrieved from https://www.henriettes-herb.com/eclectic/kings/arctostaphylos.html
Guay, D.R. (2009). Cranberry and Urinary Tract Infections. Drugs, 69, 775–807. https://doi.org/10.2165/00003495-200969070-00002
Hoffman, D. (2003). Medical herbalism: The science and practice of herbal medicine. Rochester, VT: Healing Arts Press.
Lynch, D. M. (2004). Cranberry for Prevention of Urinary Tract Infections. American Family Physician, 70, 2175-2177. http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.557.148&rep=rep1&type=pdf
Neto, C.C., Vinson, J.A. (2011). Cranberry. Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects. 2nd edition. (Chapter 6). Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92762/
Raz, R., Chazan, B., & Dan, M. (2004). Cranberry Juice and Urinary Tract Infection. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 38, 1413–1419. https://doi.org/10.1086/386328
Shin, C.N. (2014). The Effects of Cranberries on Preventing Urinary Tract Infections. Clinical Nursing Research, 23, 54–79. https://doi.org/10.1177/1054773813475448
Stothers, L. (2002). A randomized trial to evaluate effectiveness and cost effectiveness of naturopathic cranberry products as prophylaxis against urinary tract infection in women. The Canadian journal of urology. 9. 1558-62. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/11256568_A_randomized_trial_to_evaluate_effectiveness_and_cost_effectiveness_of_naturopathic_cranberry_products_as_prophylaxis_against_urinary_tract_infection_in_women
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. (2016). Cranberry. Retrieved from https://nccih.nih.gov/health/cranberry
Note: Information found on this website is meant for educational purposes only. It is not meant to diagnose medical conditions, to treat any medical conditions or to prescribe medicine.
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