What is Cranberry:
Cranberry is an evergreen shrub. Cranberries shrub is up to 2 meters long and 5 to 20 cm in height, and they have small evergreen leaves. The color of the flowers is dark pink. The fruit is a berry and the colour of the fruit is Red. The fruit is larger than its leaves. It is an edible fruit once it rips completely but its taste is acidic. The botanical name for the cranberry is Vaccinium macrocarpon.
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Pic. (1) Cranberry Fruit with Leaf
How does cranberry grow: In the past, Cranberry natural shrub beds grown in wetlands. However, now days it cultivated under the shallow level of the water also but for certain phases only. These beds are called bogs. An acidic peaty soil is necessary for cranberry bog to give fruitful berries. Cranberry natural shrub all the species having 360 degree fighting effect.
Cranberry is mainly cultivated in the unites states of America (The USA), The United Kingdom (The UK), Canada, and Chile. All these species of cranberry are potentially effective at 360 degree.
Specific role of Cranberry in UTI (Urinary tract infection):
The urinary tract infection is a deadly disease and affects more than 150 million across the world. Since several decades Cranberry genus like Vaccinium, and species V xycoccus, V macrocarpon etcetera has been used as herbal medicine to stop UTI. Cranberry natural shrub all the species having 360 degree fighting effect.
In many studies long year back, cranberry was found to intervene with the attachment of bacteria to uroepithelial cells, due to this attribute it preventing infection deeply.
In the year of 1989, A group of Proanthocyanidins (PACs) compound were identified as a chemical compound with the potential to suppress or obstruct the adherence of Pfimbriated Escherichia coli (E. Coli) into the urogenital mucosa, and there are more than hundreds of different compounds found in cranberries that have yet to be discover for their potential anti-adherence activity.
People mostly affect the cystitis form of UTI. Cystitis means inflammation of the urinary system. This is a type of infection and it spread to any part of the urinary tract system i.e Bladder, Kidney, and urethra.
UTI is a very dangerous infection if not treated at the earliest. Bladder is a very sensitive organ so it affected by this deadly disease mostly. Bacteria is the main cause of this infection. In addition, E. Coli (Escherichia coli) bacteria is primarily responsible for causing this infection. Moreover, it is increasing the healthcare cost, and mortality percentage is increasing also day by around the world.
Other Benefits of Cranberry:
Besides UTI treatment, this shrub is used in many other indications. In the past decades, Folks around the world used cranberries to treat UTI but people have also used this fruit in their food because it helps to heal the wound infection and also for blood poisoning treatment.
Cranberry leaves also very useful and it has been used to treat diarrhoea and metabolic disorder such as diabetes mellitus.
Properties of Cranberry:
This amazing natural herb has numerous properties to mitigate the disease from human life and provide health benefits to people. These properties are given below:
(1) Healing: The cranberry has a great healing property that renders people living longer. Moreover, The MOA of recovery is based on preventing bacterial attachment to host cell surface membranes.
(2) Anti-inflammatory: Important chemicals found in the cranberry are Proanthocyanidin oligomers, flavonol and anthocyanin glycosides, and triterpenoids. All these have anticancer qualities which obstruct the growth of cancer cells.
The mechanisms of action (MOA) of cranberry phytochemicals are (1) Induces of cell death in tumor cells, (2) it decreased the activity of ornithine decarboxylase, (3) it reduces the expression of matrix metalloproteinases associated with prostate tumor metastasis, (4) anti-inflammatory activities including inhibition of cyclooxygenases.
In Vivo practical of animal models reveals that cranberry extracts can slow down the growth of two important markers and those markers were C-reactive protein (CRP) and proinflammatory interleukins.
(3) Anticancer: It slows down the growth of cancer metastasis due to the antioxidant property of The Cranberries. This natural shrub is rich in flavonoids like proanthocyanidins and flavonols.
It was mentioned in many journals after conducting the clinical trials that Both (proanthocyanidins and flavonols) are having curing effects on cancer and heart-related diseases. Cardiac issues and Cancer are the main reason for mortality in today’s world, so Cranberry is the new hope.
Quercetin contains more than half of the flavonols in cranberries. It was reported that quercetin inhibited the growth of human cancer cells.
(4) Antioxidant property: The cranberries shrub possesses anthocyanins. Due to this ingredient cranberries are used as an antioxidant because anthocyanins have antioxidant properties. Most of the research conducted over time illustrated that more than 50% of the O2 radical clearing strength of cranberries was due to the characteristics of anthocyanins.
Anthocyanins are the hallmark in the cranberries herb. Moreover, antioxidant quality of cranberry fruit plays a significant role in to limit the growth of the cell in the disease like cancer and was proven that it also used in vascular disease as well.
Therapeutic Dosages: It depending on preparation and indication.
Cranberry extracts tablets: 300 to 400 mg twice daily (1 tablet) with unsweetened juice or water.
Dose for an Adult patient: By PO route means Oral route
Therapeutic Indication: For Urinary Tract Infection (Bladder, Kidney, and Urethra)
Dose: (1)120–800 mg OD (once a day) or BD (twice a day) cranberry tablet or capsule formulation.
(2) Capsule 400 mg BID by water or unsweetened juice
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Pic. (2). Cranberry Capsule
Juice: Cranberry juice 120–300 mL TID (three times a day) can be helpful.
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Pic. (3) Cranberry Juice
Dose for Paediatrics patient: Cranberry extracts 120 mg taken once a day for two months to children 12–18 years of age.
Therapeutic Indication: To prevent Urinary Tract Infection (Bladder, Kidney, and Urethra).
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Pic. (4) Cranberry High time with drinking one glass of juice
Pharmacoeconomic: The cost of a medicine is an important factor for social economic patient to purchase a medicine. If cost is high of a drug, then only rich people are able to buy that particular medicine, so medicine should be cheap. However, cranberry is a natural herb so it does not cost much.
The cost of cranberry capsule around 161 INR or 2.50 $ for 10 capsule pack, cranberry tablet cost varies company to company, and Cranberry juice price starts from 106 INR or 1.50 $.
Side Effect: It may enhance urinary oxalate levels, so kidney patients take the precaution and consult with a physician or Clinical Pharmacist before taking the cranberry formulation.
It may cause GI upset and diarrhoea as well (All are in overdoses).
Contraindication: People complaint of Kidney stones and it is the main issues which contradict the patient health well-being so patient must be aware.
Drug Interaction: Cranberry can interact with warfarin- it may increase the bleeding risk because Warfarin is a blood thinner drug and prevent the clotting but if it used with cranberry then it slows down the anticoagulant property of warfarin.
Precaution: Pregnant and lactating women (Life threatening risk involved from first trimester so please consult with physician or clinical pharmacist before use of cranberry any formulation), Acute or chronic kidney patients, patient those have history of allergy or hypersensitivity with cranberries.
Conclusion: Finally, this natural herb is safe and effective in UTI infection for both the gender. It has been seen in the studies that Cranberries all the formulations were effective to reduce the risk of any infection in UTI which occurred by Bacteria like Escherichia coli.
Moreover, this is also found that consumption of cranberry is good for overall health because this herbal product possesses plenty of great qualities which help to balance the life style disease. In today’s scenarios cranberry is widely used to mitigate the disease. This planet is fortunate that it has such kind of mysterious fruit which counter attack the diseases.
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