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Cranberry is a wild berry that has been used in folk medicine for many years. It has a tonic, healing and restorative effect. After all, it is not in vain that the berry is gaining full strength precisely by the onset of frost.
Among the biologically active substances that cranberries are rich in, there are:
organic acids, among which benzoic acid is in the first place. In the berry, it is presented in the form of a glycoside vaccine. This substance has a bactericidal effect, protecting the berry itself and the person who took it from microbes and fungi.
Triterpenoidthat can relieve inflammation by inhibiting the enzymatic activity of lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase. The most active acids in this regard, which are part of cranberries: ursolic and oleanolic.
Pektinыwhich help cleanse the body. They have detoxic properties due to the removal of radioactive particles and heavy metals from it.
Flavonoids, which, first of all, have a beneficial effect on blood vessels. They help to increase their elasticity, reduce permeability. Thus, the risk of developing atherosclerotic changes is significantly reduced. Among the flavonoids that cranberries are rich in, catechins, anthocyanins, and leucoanthocyanins are of particular value.
Phenolic compoundsbelonging to the group of tannins. They resist the growth of pathogenic organisms at the cellular level. This is the reason for the property of cranberry juice to enhance the effect of taking antibacterial drugs.
Vitamins you can find in cranberries, but their number is not large. But it is able to satisfy the body’s needs for minerals (sodium, potassium, phosphorus), as well as trace elements (manganese, iron, aluminum, zinc).
The use of berries due to the high content of acids in it is contraindicated for people with liver disease, gastritis (with increased acidity), stomach ulcers.
Treatment of cystitis with cranberries
There is a lot of information about the benefits of the berry, its harm or simply uselessness. Therefore, it is so important for people with cystitis to figure out whether it is worth consuming cranberries during an exacerbation of the disease. The berry definitely has the ability to reduce inflammation and gives a diuretic effect. It is a kind of antibiotic of plant origin.
Therefore, it is often used to treat and prevent the following diseases:
Anemia;
Treatment and prevention of urolithiasis;
Gynecological diseases of an inflammatory nature;
Diseases of the urinary system – cystitis, pyelonephritis;
Rehabilitation after difficult childbirth;
With tuberculosis;
With anemia;
With atherosclerosis.
It is generally accepted that fruit drink or fresh juice from these berries gives the greatest effect. With any inflammatory process affecting the urinary system, the alkaline concentration in the urine increases. Infection under such favorable conditions begins to spread rapidly. It is at this time that cranberry juice comes to the rescue. It is a natural acidifier that prevents pathogens from attaching to the bladder wall, thereby reducing their numbers. Its therapeutic effect begins already 60 minutes after the berry has been eaten. The effect will continue for another 12 hours. At the same time, up to 80% of the population of the most common causative agent of bladder inflammation (E. coli) will come out naturally. Thanks to cranberries, the qualitative composition of the biological fluid changes in such a way that bacteria simply cannot exist and multiply in it.
It is not difficult to reduce the number of relapses of chronic cystitis up to 2-3 times. To do this, it is enough to consume 300 ml of berry juice daily. But before starting treatment, you should consult your doctor regarding the dosage and frequency of taking the drink. The approach should be individual, since there may be intolerance to the components that make up its composition. It is worth knowing that natural juice or fruit drink is safer in this regard than tablets containing the active substances that make up cranberries. This is due to their higher concentration.
Helpers berries in the fight against cystitis can be: watermelons, parsley and dill, carrots and celery, and asparagus. You can supplement the drinking regimen with tincture of lingonberry leaf, rosehip and bearberry. Useful for taking birch sap.
It is important to understand that cranberries are not a 100% panacea for cystitis. With painful urge to urinate, with an increase in body temperature, acute pain in the lower abdomen, it is dangerous to postpone contacting a doctor. Such conditions are treated with antibacterial and antiseptic agents of non-plant origin.
In addition, cystitis can be a secondary disease and result from another infection, for example, ureplasmosis, mycoplasmosis, candidiasis, chlamydia, etc. In this case, targeted treatment is needed that can cope with a specific microorganism.
How to cook cranberry juice?
To make a drink, you need to take the berries and chop them. For this purpose, it is better to use a wooden mortar, but you can also use a blender. The juice is drained into a separate container, and the berries are boiled in water, then the resulting broth is passed through a sieve and the juice is added to it. Sugar when sick is best not to add. A glass of berries will be enough for a liter of water.
Research on the efficacy of cranberries for the treatment of cystitis
The results of a study conducted by scientists from the Cochrane Society indicate that berries and preparations based on them do not reduce the risk of developing the disease. The experiment was large-scale, more than 4000 women with frequent relapses of the disease took part in it.
All of them were divided into 4 groups:
Take medicines based on berries;
They took a placebo;
They took only increased volumes of water;
Did not receive treatment.
Based on the results obtained, it was concluded that there is no therapeutic effect from taking berries and preparations based on them. Certain improvements were noted, but reliable data on this score was not received. Therefore, conclusions were drawn regarding the fact that the juice may be useful for some women. However, in order to obtain a therapeutic effect, it must be taken in large volumes. Therefore, the use of berries for medicinal purposes is unacceptable.