Cranberries helps prevent UTI's

Cranberries, blueberries, and the Concord grape are among the few fruits native to North America. A number of related cranberries are found in areas ranging from damp bogs to mountain forests. These plants grow from Alaska to Tennessee as small, trailing evergreen shrubs. Fresh cranberries, which contain the highest levels of beneficial nutrients, are at their peak from October through December, just in time to add their festive hue, tart tangy flavor and numerous health protective effects to your holiday meals. Cranberry is also consumed as food in the form of relish, sauce, jam, or dried berries. The juice in general contains glucose, fructose, ascorbic acid, benzoic acid, quinic acid, malic acid, proanthocyanidins, triterpenoids, catechins, lectins, and water. Cranberry has also been reported to have antioxidant and anticancer activity. cranberry is also being taken for its vitamin C and its phytonutrients, including flavonoids such as the proanthocyanidins, which are beneficial antioxidants. Thus, Cranberries can serve as a good source of supplemental antioxidants. studies have shown that cranberries can help prevent urinary tract infections and may reduce the risk of gum disease, stomach ulcers and cancer.
Cranberry is widely used to prevent urinary tract infections. It was originally believed that any benefit from this food was the result of acidification of urine. cranberry does it action by inhibition of adhesion of bacteria (E.coli the most common bacterial cause of UTIs,) to uroepithelial cells by proanthocyanadin, a compound present in cranberry. This anti-adherence action is thought to reduce the ability of the bacteria to cause a UTI.
Other uses of cranberry include treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection and prevention of dental plaque.The anti-adhesion properties of cranberry inhibits the bacteria associated with gum disease and stomach ulcers.
cranberry juice and its products significantly reduced recurrent UTI among women with recurrent infections. commercially available cranberry juice products are likely safe in available dosages and as recommended for capsules and tablets in healthy adults. Drinking excessive amounts of juice or higher doses could cause gastrointestinal upset or diarrhea. Recommended doses range from 90 to 480 mL of cranberry cocktail twice daily or 15 to 30 mL of unsweetened 100% cranberry juice daily. Patients with diabetes or glucose intolerance may want to drink sugar-free cranberry juice to avoid a high sugar intake.The concentrate available in frozen form has almost 30 times the strength of the juice. capsule form, 1cap(300 to 400 mg) has hard gelatin concentrated extract or soft gelatin, which contain less cranberry compound, twice daily.
Cranberry juice has interaction with warfarin, with increased risk for bleeding, with increased risk for calcium oxalate renal stones, and with hypersensitivity. In particular, patients with a history of nephrolithiasis should avoid the use of cranberry juice or products because of possible increases in calcium and oxalate concentration. Drinking more than 1 liter per day of cranberry juice may increase the risk of kidney stones in people with a history of oxalate stones.
However, no evidence exists for the efficacy of cranberry for the treatment of UTI and it should not be used as a substitute for antibiotics. Cranberry products alone should not be used to treat acute infection. people with urinary tract infection should see a health care provider for proper diagnosis and treatment. patient should seek treatment with antibiotics for breakthrough UTIs after establishing sensitivity of the infecting organism. If a person wishes to avoid antibiotics, cranberry juice or concentrate would be a sound recommendation to make, with follow-up of frequency of future UTIs. If efficacious, cranberry juice or concentrate may prevent visits to the physician's office for recurrent UTI as well as use of antibiotics and development of microbial resistance.

Cooking Veggies May Not Cut Nutrients

Study: Some Cooking Methods Maintain or Boost Certain Nutrients in Vegetables

Dec. 21, 2007 -- Cooking vegetables may not reduce all of the nutrients in those veggies, according to a new Italian study.

The University of Parma's Nicoletta Pellegrini, PhD, and colleagues bought freshly harvested carrots, zucchini, and broccoli at a local market.

In their lab, the scientists measured levels of various antioxidants in the raw vegetables. Then they boiled, steamed, or fried the vegetables. Lastly, they measured antioxidant levels in the cooked vegetables.

Raw vegetables were loaded with antioxidants. After cooking, their antioxidant levels were a mixed bag.

In some cases, the veggies lost antioxidants to cooking. But not all antioxidants decreased when cooked -- and in some cases, certain antioxidant levels rose when cooked.

For instance, steamed broccoli contained higher levels than raw broccoli of glucosinolate compounds, which may reduce cancer risk. And boiled carrots contained higher levels than raw carrots of carotenoids, which give carrots their bright orange color.

No single method of cooking stood out as being best for all antioxidants.

"Our results suggest that for each vegetable a preferential cooking method could be selected to preserve or improve its nutritional qualities," write the researchers.

courtesy:http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/news/20071221/cooking-veggies-may-not-cut-nutrients