Great for the bladder
Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpum) is a member of the Ericaceae family, which grows to about 30cm in wet, acidic, boggy ground. It is a native of North America and takes the form of an evergreen, wiry shrub with purple flowers that transform into the dark red berries that are so unpopular with turkeys. There is a European form, V. oxycoccus, which is very popular in Sweden, but I shall concentrate on V.macrocarpum.
Cranberries were introduced into England in 1808 by the great botanist Joseph Banks, but they are now mainly cultivated in the USA.
The plant contains proanthocyclin, polyphenols, flavanoids and Vitamin C, which makes it antiscorbutic and therefore specific for bladder and urinary tract infections. It is now believed to relieve diabetes melitis and will treat vitamin C deficiencies, hay fever and food and chemical allergies; the Italians claim it will improve failing eyesight.
The cranberry is one of nature’s best treatments and defence against the scourge of cystitis and other urinary infections. For generations, practitioners recommended the plant without really knowing how it worked; some herbalists believed it increased the acidity of the urine and created a hostile environment for the bacteria that caused the infection and this theory was supported by both the British and American Pharmacopeia. However in l994, Dr. Anthony Sabota, a professor of microbiology at Ohio University, revealed that cranberry juice prevents the cystitis bacteria from clinging to the wall of the bladder, and thereby allowing it to be flushed from the system.
Cranberries also contain ellagic acid, a powerful antioxidant that blocks damaging free-radicals. The plant’s action is also effective in suppressing enlargement of the prostate and preventing the formation of bladder stones, but should kidney disease be present then medical advice should be sought before taking the juice.
There are many cranberry preparations on the market but be advised that most are adulterated with sugar which nullifies the beneficial action of the berry, most practitioners now recommend taking it in pill form.
It may be worth noting that between November and December each year the Americans consume over 70 million kilos of cranberries.
Next week Ephedra
