Pass the cranberries

If you want the greatest health benefit from your cranberries this Thanksgiving, choose either whole cranberry products or juice that has not been highly diluted, a recent study suggests. A higher concentration of either cranberry juice or tannins in the cranberries may be better at fighting infection.

A number of studies over the years have reported the health benefits of cranberry juice, and now a new study sheds light on why it works so well in preventing urinary tract infections.

Funded in part by the National Science Foundation, the latest information offers a more complete picture as to how the compounds in the juice work to fight illness at the biochemical level. The study also lends credence to the juice's use as an effective alternative to antibiotics, particularly for combating E. coli bacteria that have become resistant to conventional treatment.

The findings show that a group of tannins called proanthocyanidins (found primarily in cranberries) affect E. coli, preventing the bacteria from adhering to cells in the body, which is a necessary first step in all infections. The tannins work in three ways:

They change the shape of the bacteria from rods to spheres;
They alter cell membranes; and
They make it difficult for the bacteria to make contact with cells or from latching on to them.

It is the first time that scientists have been able to offer detailed information on the biomechanical mechanisms that underlie cranberry juice's effectiveness as a potent antibacterial agent. The study was conducted at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

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