How an Amazing Little Red Berry May Revolutionize Women's Health Care
The Story Behind Nutricran™ with Origanox™ Cranberry Powder
by Nikos M. Linardakis, M.D. with Carli Dixon, M.S.
Can something that looks good, smells good
and tastes good actually be especially good
for women? Absolutely—if it's cranberry. So
often things that seem very attractive at first
turn out to be detrimental health risks—for
example, double bacon cheeseburgers with
mayo, cigarettes, too much alcohol, overly
barbecued meats and soaking up the sun
while getting a glorious tan.
As it turns out, the distinctive, jewel-like,
ruby-red color of cranberries signals the
presence of beneficial plant chemicals called
flavonoids (specifically, polyphenols known
as anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins, which
are condensed tannins). These, and possibly
other beneficial phytochemicals from the
cranberry, help to prevent the painfully tenacious
urinary tract infections (UTIs) that
plague many adult women. And that's just
for starters.
Clinical studies show that cranberries and
their derivatives contain antifungal, antiviral
and antioxidant compounds useful for preventing
gum disease, battling cancer-causing
carcinogens, reducing risk of gastric ulcers
and contributing to a healthy cardiovascular
system: All of that from a healthy little red
berry!
Anti-Adhesive Properties
According to the American Foundation for
Urologic Disease, over 10 million people
each year—the majority of them women—seek help for UTIs.
It seems that in most anti-bacterial wars,
the bugs have everything on their side. As
soon as scientists develop antibacterial compounds
and disease-fighting antibiotics, the
resilient bacteria divide, multiply and evolve
into new drug-resistant strains that defy doctors'
best prescriptions. It's back to square one.
Scientists believe that Escherichia coli (E.
coli) bacteria in the urinary tract may be the
primary cause of UTIs and bladder infections.
Unfortunately, many of the newer strains are
now resistant to antibiotics. So what's a
woman to do? Call on the cranberry.
Cranberry's ability to prevent and control
UTIs is well documented. Even before the first
settlers arrived in Massachusetts, cranberry
was a popular folk remedy used by indigenous
peoples. But what is so special about
the cranberry, anyway? Why is it so useful for
the prophylaxis and treatment of infections?
After all, it's a nutrient-rich food, not an
antibiotic.
Since it was known that cranberry products
seemed to inhibit the growth of bacteria
in the bladder and urinary tract, it was originally
thought that cranberry products helped
to acidify the urine, thus decreasing the ability
of bacteria to multiply. But this is not the
primary mechanism for cranberry's beneficial
effects. Unlike most other fruits containing
flavonoids, cranberry phytochemicals have a
special anti-adhesion property. Bacteria can't
get a toehold. They simply slide right off, like
food on a Teflon® coated frying pan, whether
they are drug-resistant or not.
Harvard Study Validates Cranberry's Value
A 1994 landmark study conducted by a
team of researchers at Harvard Medical
School (Dr. Jerry Avorn, et. al.) scientifically
and clinically validated cranberry's
unique qualities for the medical community.
In this randomized, double-blinded,
placebo-controlled study, 153 elderly
women drank 300 ml of cranberry juice
daily and reduced their odds of urinary
tract infection by 58 percent. This study
used a commercially available standard
cranberry beverage vs. a specially prepared
placebo drink that was indistinguishable in
taste and appearance. Urine samples were
collected at one-month intervals for a
period of six months.
In a follow-up study scientists from
Rutgers University pinpointed the antiadhesion
compound existing in cranberries
that prevents bacteria from adhering to
cells of the urinary tract. Cranberry phytochemicals
created a barrier that prevented
certain bacteria from attaching to epithelial
cells. So not only was cranberry useful for
urinary tract health, it could have other
clinically relevant applications as well.
“Nature's Non-Stick Nutrients”
The anti-adhesion properties of cranberry
have exciting potential in many areas of
women's health.
Gastric ulcers—New research suggests
that Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), the bacteria
thought to be a cause of gastric ulcers,
are also affected by cranberry's non-stick
properties. H. pylori weaken the protective
mucus coating of the stomach, allowing
stomach acids to ulcerate the sensitive lining
underneath. According to the Centers of
Disease Control and Prevention, some 80
percent of gastric ulcers are caused by H.
pylori bacteria.
Dental plaque—Plaque, a film of bacteria
and bacterial products that forms in the
mouth, is considered the major source of
pathogens that cause gum irritation, which
can lead to periodontal disease. Reducing
bacterial adhesion to the gums and teeth
could reduce risk of gum disease and aid in
dental hygiene and sweeter breath. In vitro
lab research at the University of Tel Aviv
showed that cranberry extract could reverse
by 58 percent bacterial adhesion of several
types of bacteria that commonly inhabit the
mouth. An ongoing clinical study by Dr.
John Taylor and Dr. Marvin Frager also
shows substantial benefits of cranberry incorporated
into a periodontal system to combat
gingivitis and breath odor.
Cancer and Heart Disease
The colorful cranberry is a powerhouse of
nutrition, offering antioxidants that may
slow the oxidation leading to heart disease
and reduce the effects of aging—surely two
of women's number one health concerns.
Cranberry contains biochemically active
compounds, called flavonoids, that act by
inhibiting blood clot formation, promoting
vasodilation (increasing the blood vessel
diameter) and improving blood flow. These
benefits in turn, help decrease blood pressure.
The specific heart-healthy phytochemicals
are called flavonoids. The red pigment
acts as a powerful antioxidant to: 1.) stop the
oxidation of LDL or “bad” cholesterol and 2.) to decrease the platelet aggregation or
clumping that thickens the blood. Cranberry
exhibits a polyphenol content and antioxidant
activity similar in effect to red wine but without
the alcohol. Women who want the heart-healthy
effects of red wine can get it without
the alcohol that raises the risk of breast cancer.
There is general agreement that plant-based
diets rich in whole grains, legumes, fruits
and vegetables reduce the risk for various types
of cancers, including breast cancer. Studies
now underway show that a number of beneficial plant chemicals may play an important
role in preventing certain types of cancers.
Certain flavonoids in cranberry seem to have
the potential to inhibit early stages of cancer
cell growth.
The University of Western Ontario
recently demonstrated that mice injected with
human breast cancer cells showed significantly
lower incidence of tumor development when
fed cranberry components. Cranberry consumption
appeared to delay tumor development
and reduce the spread of tumors.
Cranberry is also a rich source of the flavonoid
quercetin. Studies have shown that quercetin
(and other compounds) may have an effect on
inhibiting the laboratory development of both
breast and colon cancers. Ruihai Liu, M.D.,
Ph.D. and fellow researchers at Cornell
University have studied 11 common fruits and
laboratory results indicate that cranberry has
the highest total phenolic content and is the
most effective in preventing the proliferation
of human liver cancer cells (anticancer effect).
With all these benefits it is no wonder that
in 1998, in the New England Journal of
Medicine, Rutgers-led scientists recommended
a daily 10-ounce glass (300 ml) of cranberry
juice cocktail for promoting urinary tract
health.
Women who are concerned about caloric
intake would be adding approximately 160
very healthy calories. It could easily replace a
carbonated soda or other daily drink. If that is
too many calories, one cranberry company,
Decas Cranberry Products, Inc. saw the need
to produce a nutrient-dense, state-of-the art
cranberry extract that captures all the antioxidant
and anti-adhesive properties of cranberry
juice in an easy-to-swallow, low-calorie form
that is added to supplements.
The Decas company has been growing
delicious Cape Cod cranberries for more than
65 years. Recently their research and development
arm, Decas Botanical Synergies, has
entered the exciting new domain of what the
company introduces as “fruitaceuticals,” and
in the process, discovered new ways to use
cranberry's potential healing properties. The
dynamic powder can be found in several stores
that carry Nutricran™ powder. The product is
a high-potency, water-soluble, free-flowing
cranberry powder with superior antioxidant
properties. This means a lot of benefits at the
cellular level. Together with Origanox™, a
powerful antioxidant containing rosmarinic
acid, the advanced cranberry powder creates a
synergistic effect for a doubly effective one-two
punch to stop free radicals in their tracks.
Rosmarinic Acid—An added bonus
In addition to its anti-adhesive qualities, cranberry
is also a strong antioxidant. The potent
rosmarinic acid cranberry powder offers multiple
advantages.
Most of us are already aware that when iron
rusts, oil turns rancid, food spoils or your skin
starts to wrinkle and get brown spots. It is due
to oxidation—attacks on cells by harmful molecules
called free radicals. Free radical damage
has been blamed for a growing number of
degenerative diseases likely to attack women
(and men) as they grow older.
Free radicals are like roaming teenage
gangs—unstable, unbalanced molecular fragments
compulsively stealing electrons from
nearby stable molecules. Think of all the
stressful events we encounter each day. Our
contemporary lifestyle offers endless opportunities
for free radical damage. Alcohol,
asbestos, calorie-dense fatty foods, smoke,
sunlight, pesticides all contribute to toxic oxidation.
Antioxidants act as a defense system, a
local police force that can neutralize free radicals
and render them harmless. Nutritionists
agree that a balanced consumption of dietary
antioxidants reduces risk of degenerative
disease.
The savory oregano is a natural herb known
for its medicinal properties as well as flavor
enhancement. Rosmarinic acid, which is standardized
in Origanox, is a purely natural preservative
that helps to neutralize oxidation,
enhancing the shelf life of products as well as
serving as a health aid. It also functions as one
of the few antioxidants able to cross the blood-brain
barrier to combat superoxide radicals in
the brain. Researchers hope it may one day be
used to combat degenerative diseases such as
Alzheimer's. Barrington Nutritionals calls the
form of rosmarinic acid used in their products
Origanox and it can be found in stores carrying
Alternativa Natural products (www.altnatural.com).
The development of Nutricran with
Origanox powder, with its unique combination
of antioxidant-enhanced cranberry powder and
rosmarinic acid, makes a welcome addition to
solutions for women's health problems.
BENEFITS OF CRANBERRIES
- Supports urinary tract health
- Rich in flavonoids
- Helps prevent ulcers
- Inhibits gum disease
- May help reduce chronic diseases
- One of highest antioxidants from fruits
- Bacterial anti-adhesive properties
- Beautiful, natural flavoring and coloring
- Great source of beneficial natural phytochemicals
- Available all year
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The Little Red Healthy Berry
In the end, it's back to nature for the solutions
to many of women's health issues and treatment
for chronic, degenerative disease. The
Decas fruitaceutical products will see phenomenal
growth in the next few years as the little red
berry adds to the arsenal of healthy nutrients.
Whether you grab a handful, drink a glass
or pop a pill, cranberry is nature's jewel and a
natural remedy with proven benefits in
women's health care.
Nikos M. Linardakis, M.D. is a physician and
medical director in Massachusetts. He is the author of a dozen medical textbooks published by
McGraw-Hill and of the forthcoming book, The Healthy Berry: The Official Health Guide to
Cranberries. He can be contacted at
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
or www.healthyberry.com
Carli Dixon, M.S. is a writer/editor specializing in medical advances, health, nutrition and change
management.
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