At the first signs of a urinary tract infection, your mother probably drank cranberry juice. But can a fruit really stave off a bacterial infection? Although some experts theorize that it’s really just the flushing out of the urinary tract by drinking a lot of fluid, or that the acidic environment isn’t hospitable to bacteria, there may be more to it. “Cranberry has been shown to reduce how well the bacteria stick to the lining cells of the bladder,” says Diana Bitner, MD, an obstetrician and gynecologist at Spectrum Health, although studies in women with recurrent infections have been inconsistent. Even so, “cranberry is unlikely to cause harm, might reduce bladder infections, and could be used in conjunction with other strategies your health care provider recommends,” Dr. Bitner says, as previously noted. Here Isabelle Z., NaturalNews.com, reflects on a recent study of cranberry extract combating antibiotic resistance:

“If you enjoyed cranberries this Thanksgiving, you might have thought about how good it tastes or debated with relatives about whether the jellied variety is better than the traditional sauce. One thought that probably didn’t enter your mind was how much it can do for your health. Sure, most people know that cranberry juice can stop a urinary tract infection (UTI) in its tracks, but did you know that cranberry extract has the power to stop the very serious problem of antibiotic resistance?

That’s right: A new study has found that cranberry extract can actually make bacteria more sensitive to antibiotics. The Canadian researchers behind the study said that it was the fruit’s effects on UTIs that inspired them to look into its infection-fighting abilities. They chose bacteria that cause problems like gastroenteritis, pneumonia, and UTIs for their study.

After applying cranberry extract to cultures of the bacteria, they noticed that cranberry molecules rendered the cultures more sensitive to antibiotics. Their effects were twofold: They made the bacteria’s membranes more permeable to the antibiotic while disrupting the mechanism used by the bacteria when it wants to eliminate the antibiotic.

The study’s lead author, Professor Nathalie Tufenkji of McGill University, said that when bacteria are treated with antibiotics in a lab, the bacteria normally acquire resistance with time. In this case, however, when cranberry extract was used at the same time as the antibiotic, resistance never developed. They said they were surprised by their finding and are excited about the potential.

Moreover, the cranberry extract’s dual action meant that it was effective even in low doses. The scientists replicated their findings in insect models, and it’s hoped that this can be applied to humans down the line.

Cranberry extract’s effects are believed to be caused by molecules known as proanthocyanidins, and the researchers would like to see further research determining which specific proanthocyanidins work best.

Professor Tufenkji said: “We are eager to pursue this research further. Our hope is to reduce the doses of antibiotics required in human and veterinary medicine as part of efforts to combat antibiotic resistance.”

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