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60 Caplets
Elsewhere:
$14.00
Our Price:
$12.00
International orders:
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Cranberry has a long history of use in
folk medicine. Early European,
Native American, and Asian cultures
used it for treating wounds and swollen
glands, for the prevention of scurvy, for
the prevention and treatment of bladder
and kidney stones as well as infection.
In addition, today’s evidence shows
that cranberries may help treat and prevent
urinary tract infections and reduce
the risk of gum disease, ulcers, heart disease,
diabetes and even cancer.
unique ability.
The cranberry and urinary tract health
unique ability.
Cranberry has long been used to treat urinary
tract infections (UTIs), and recent research is
beginning to bear this out. To see how this can be, we
should first look at our kidneys.
The kidneys make urine, which consists of about 95
percent water and 5 percent urea and various salts. This
urine exits the kidney via long, thin tubes called
ureters. The ureters (one from each kidney) drain into
the bladder. When the bladder fills, you get a signal
that it is time to urinate. The urine passes out of your
body through a canal called the urethra. Anything that
interferes with this flow may cause the urine to back up
and stagnate in the bladder, making the urinary tract
vulnerable to infection.
UTIs are a serious health problem, resulting in more
than 11 million physician visits annually in the U.S.,
second only to respiratory infection. About 20 percent
of women will experience a urinary tract infection
sometime during their lives. Of those, 80 percent will
have another within 18 months. The incidence in men
is less, although the risk increases substantially with age
in both sexes.
These infections are caused by the introduction of
bacteria into the urinary tract, usually Escherichia coli
(E. coli). Once inside, they thrive in the
warm, moist environment. Ultimately, they
begin to affect urine production and the
function of the bladder, resulting in painful
or frequent urination, nausea and fever.
Recurrent UTIs may also increase the risk
of incontinence in women after
menopause. In the elderly, consequences
can be much more severe, including mental
deterioration and respiratory distress.
unique ability.
The problem of antibiotic resistance
unique ability.
Western medicine has traditionally
treated UTIs with antibiotics, but bacterial
resistance has become an increasing
problem. More than 20 percent of E. coli are
now resistant to ampicillin, cephalothin and sulfamethoxazole
and the percentage is almost as high for
trimethoprim and TMP-SMX.
Fortunately, new research indicates that cranberry
can help prevent and treat UTIs thanks to its ability
to keep bacteria from adhering to the walls of the urinary
tract. The germs, rendered harmless, get flushed
out in urine.
In one study conducted by Harvard
researchers in 1994, elderly women
who drank 300 ml of cranberry juice
daily reduced their odds of having a
UTI infection by 58 percent. Another
2001 study published in the British
Medical Journal showed that a daily
glass of cranberry juice reduced
women’s risk of developing a second
UTI by 56 percent.
unique ability.
Keep bacteria at bay — the natural way
unique ability.
Cranberries contain proanthocyanidins (PACs),
which inhibit the ability of bacteria, including E. coli,
to “stick” to the urinary tract wall. Findings published
in the June 19, 2002 edition of the Journal of the
American Medical Association reported that not only
are cranberry PACs able to “un-stick” antibiotic-susceptible
bacteria, but resistant strains as well, and the
effect can last up to 10 hours after consumption.
While many fruits contain similar compounds, thus
far only the PACs of cranberries and blueberries have
been shown to exhibit this effect. Studies have shown
that these PACs are structurally different from those of
other fruits tested, which may account for cranberry’s
unique ability.
Evidence for reduction in gum disease and ulcers
While cranberry is perhaps best known for its effect
on urinary tract health, newer research indicates that it
may act elsewhere in the body against other bacteria as
well. The adhesion of the different types of bacteria
that cause both periodontal gum disease and stomach
ulcers have both been shown to be inhibited by cranberry.
A recent study reported that a unique cranberry juice component, NDM, has the ability to reverse and inhibit the coaggregation of certain oral bacteria
responsible for dental plaque and periodontal disease in
vitro.
Also, a preliminary trial using mouthwash containing
NDM found that the saliva of the experimental
group showed a two order of magnitude reduction in
Streptococcus mutans (S. Mutans) compared with the
placebo group. S. Mutans is responsible for a large percentage
of dental cavities.
Peptic ulcers, too, may benefit from a serving of
cranberries. A constituent of cranberries has been
shown to inhibit the adhesion of Helicobacter pylori
bacteria to human gastric mucus in vitro. H. pylori is
increasingly suspected to be the cause of peptic ulcers.
Contains more antioxidants than other fruits—even grapes
The medical community is quickly realizing the
value of antioxidants in fighting a wide range of diseases
including heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers.
According to a study published in the November
19, 2001 edition of the Journal of Agriculture and Food
Chemistry, cranberries have been shown to contain
more antioxidant phenols than 19 other commonly
eaten fruits including both red and green grapes.
Dr. Catherine Neto of the University of Massachusetts,
Dartmouth, recently published a laboratory
study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food
Chemistry showing that certain cranberry extracts also
inhibited the growth of a variety of tumor cells.
Other health benefits
Cranberries may also act as natural “probiotics” by
enabling the good bacteria in the GI tract to thrive,
while inhibiting the bad bacteria that promote infections
and food-borne illnesses. A study by Leslie Plhak,
Ph.D., at the University of Wisconsin-Madison found
that whole, frozen cranberries contained compounds
that inhibited the growth of common food-borne
pathogens but enhanced the growth of a beneficial bacterium
by as much as 25 times.
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"Cranberries contain the most
antioxidant phenols compared to 19
commonly eaten fruits. Cranberries
are loaded with antioxidants and
should be eaten more often."
—Joe Vinson, Ph.D., research chemist
at the University of Scranton
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The prolific antioxidant properties of cranberries are
the focus of research on many health fronts. Some current
areas of study include cranberries’ effect on many
areas of cardiovascular health especially as it relates to
cholesterol and stroke. The health potential of this
amazing fruit with its antioxidant and phytochemical
stores has just begun to be discovered.
AIM CranVerry
Unlike many other cranberry products that are made
from dried and/or ground berries, AIM CranVerry® is
made from concentrated juice, minus the fiber, making
it easier for your body to absorb the available nutrients.
AIM CranVerry® provides a way to receive the benefits
of cranberry juice in convenient vegetarian capsules.
Unlike cranberry beverages that usually contain
large amounts of processed sugar, AIM CranVerry® has
no added sugar.
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