Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) is an antioxidant-rich berry. Cranberry prevents urinary tract infection, but cannot treat an existing one. The tea blend NutraFlow, crafted with cranberry, makes it possible to avoid painful UTIs altogether. NutraFlow helps maintain urinary tract function and encourages the excretion of harmful bacteria that may result in infection, while easing inflammation and discomfort. Cranberry is an especially good herbal ally during pregnancy, a state which increases the risk of developing a UTI. That’s why NutraTea herbalists included cranberries in the vitality-boosting pregnancy tea blend NutraPreg. Interestingly, the same compounds in cranberry that prevent UTIs also prevent stomach ulcers. Cranberry is also heart-healthy, thanks to its wealth of antioxidants.
Cranberries contain:
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin E
- Vitamin K1
- Copper
- Manganese
- Antioxidants: Flavonols, anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins
Cranberry Prevents Urinary Tract Infection
Urinary tract infections are extremely common; 40% of women will experience at least one in their lifetime. Symptoms include a strong urge to urinate, frequent urination, a burning sensation during urination, pink or red urine, and pelvic pain. UTIs occur when bacteria enter the bladder, usually through the urethra. The most common bacterial culprit is Escherichia coli (E. coli), which resides in the intestinal tract. E. coli attaches to the inner surface of the urinary tract and bladder.
Cranberries contain compounds called A-type proanthocyanidins (PACs), or condensed tannins. The A-type PACs are not broken down during digestion, and collect in urine intact. A-type PACs prevent E. coli from attaching to the walls of the urinary tract and bladder, preventing infection. The epithelial cells that line the urinary tract and bladder are shielded from UTI-causing bacteria, thanks to cranberry! Cranberry is in fact one of the richest fruit sources of A-type PACs, so keep it close as a faithful protector.
Helps Prevent Stomach Ulcers
The bacterium Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) can damage the stomach lining and lead to sores known as peptic ulcers. Stomach ulcers can cause indigestion and a dull or burning pain somewhere between the bellybutton and the breastbone. Cranberry’s A-type PACs prevent H. pylori from attaching to the epithelial cells of the stomach lining.
More about Cranberry
Cranberry has an acidic taste with sweet undertones. The berry is almost 90% water, the rest being carbs and fiber. The plant is a dwarf shrub that grows in a peat bog, which is a wetland made up of dense, acidic, partially decomposed plant material. It only grows in open, sunny, wet areas in the colder regions of the Northern HemisphereThe plant’s slender stems grow, like a trailing vine, up to seven feet long and 2-8 inches tall. Cranberries possess small, evergreen leaves and pink flowers. The berry starts out green and ripens to red. Cranberries are proportionally quite large in comparison to the slender, small-leaved plant they grow from. This explains their Latin name, Vaccinium macrocarpon, which means “large-fruited.”