Antibacterial effects of cranberry

The understanding of the ways how cranberries and cranberry juice can prevent such infections as urinary tract infections and beneficially affect human health has been rather vague. To address this gap researchers have initiated a focused study on the potential of cranberry juice to prevent urinary tract infections.

The atomic force microscope on a par with other modern tools has been used to study the interaction of tannins (i.e. pro-antho-cyanidins) in cranberries with bacteria at the molecular level. It has been discovered that those compounds can prevent E. coli from sticking to cells in the body in a number of ways. It has been also found that cranberry juice restrain the ability of E. coli to generate IAA.

IAA is a molecule produced by bacteria which makes it possible to signal other bacteria about their present in the organism. A so called quorum sensing phenomenon then takes places, which to put it simple enables bacteria to sense that their population is big enough to instigate an infection, or alternatively to form a bio-film. It might be presumed that keeping bacteria from producing IAA is the other way how cranberry can hold back their ability to trigger serious infections.

Researchers have continued their studies to look into the minimum effective dose of tannins or cranberry (and cranberry juice) which is necessary to deflect infections. Another aspects under research are the optimum frequency of doses to be in-taken and the duration of anti-adhesive properties of cranberries.

The research is underway but the first results to date show that the benefits to health increase with the growing consumption of cranberry juice or other cranberry products.