Cranberries are small red berries that have a long history of use in Native American herbal medicine as both a food and a powerful ally against urinary tract infections.
Origins and use of Cranberries in herbal medicine
Cranberries are small, acidic red berries that have a long history of use in Native American tradition as both a food and a powerful herbal remedy. The Native Americans have used cranberries for centuries before the coming of the European settlers.
The berries grow widely in the continental United States and parts of Canada. The juice of the cranberry (
Vaccinium macrocarpon) was used also used as a rich red dye, however it was the medicinal benefits of cranberries that first attracted the attention of the early settlers who saw it used by the Native Americans as a remedy for scurvy, a debilitating disease caused by Vitamin C deficiency.
Everyday traditional medicine
Other uses for Cranberries in Native American tradition includes fever, diarrhoea, and fluid retention due to kidney problems. They were also used for their astringent properties on wounds and abrasions, and for their diuretic action and for minor urinary tract infections.
Today, research shows cranberry’s ability to support bladder and urinary tract health is due in part to the presence of special antioxidants that stop bacteria attaching to the wall of the bladder. Cranberries are also astringent and diuretic meaning they help to improve natural urine flow. There is also growing awareness of their benefit in the management of cystitis, making it useful for people suffering from urinary tract infections and also in the prevention of these infections. It also helps to deodorise urine, making it useful in people with incontinence.
Mr Vitamins recommends
Nutra-Life Cranberry 50,000 is formulated with a combination of extracts, including Cran-Max®, an extract derived from the skin, fruit and juice of whole cranberries. This makes the extract more potent than standard extracts (which are often derived from the juice alone). Whereas some cranberry extracts are degraded by digestive processes, Cran-Max® technology ensures the cranberry antioxidants are protected from damage caused by erosive stomach acids, meaning more of the active agent makes its way to the bladder and urinary tract.
Find out more and shop online for Nutra-life Cranberry 50,000 here
