Generations of American women have known that the bitter native cranberryisn't just the basis of a Thanksgiving relish. In fact, these small, dark redberries have a long medical history in addition to a colorful culinary one.Specifically, cranberry juice and cranberry extract appear to help prevent andeven eliminate urinary tract infections. Most women develop this type of problemat least once in their lives, and some suffer from constant recurrences.

The name "cranberry" evolved from "craneberry" (a common name for thelow-growing shrub Vaccinum macrocarpon) because the plant's flowers resemble theheads of cranes frequently spotted in the bogs where cranberries thrive.

Early American physicians successfully applied crushed cranberries to tumorsand wounds. They also used cranberries as a remedy for the age-old malady knownas scurvy, a disease caused by a lack of vitamin C. It wasn't too surprising,therefore, when modern scientists discovered that cranberries contain plentifulstores of this common antioxidant vitamin.

Recently, Israeli researchers discovered that a compound in cranberry juiceis effective against various plaque-forming bacteria that can bind to teeth andcause gingivitis and gum disease. If you’re considering using cranberry juicefor this purpose, however, stick with the natural (and unsweetened) variety.Commercial cranberry juice cocktails are very high in sugar, a gum-diseaseculprit in its own right.

Researchers have also found that cranberry juice may deodorize urine, a realboon for individuals who suffer from incontinence. In fact, the most popularmedicinal uses by far for cranberry relate to urinary tract conditions.

Prevent and relieve symptoms of urinary tract infections (UTIs). Over thedecades, countless women have used pure cranberry juice or cranberry juicecocktail to self-treat their UTIs. This common infection typically causes aburning sensation while urinating as well as a frequent and often intense urgeto do so. For a long time, cranberries were thought to directly fight theinfection by acidifying the urine to such an extent that bacteria such asEscherichia coli would languish or die.
Today, the prevailing theory is thatcranberry juice inhibits microorganisms from adhering to the mucosal cellslining the urinary tract, making it a less hospitable environment for theproliferation of E. coli and other infection-causing bacteria.

Several clinical trials now corroborate that this folk remedy does indeedwork. In one of the best-designed studies, published in the prestigious Journalof the American Medical Association in 1994, Harvard researchers reported thatregular consumption of cranberry juice led to reduced amounts of potentiallyinfectious bacteria in 153 older women. The number of white blood cells--markersof the body's response to infection--were also less. And over a six-monthperiod, the participants who drank 10 ounces of cranberry juice daily developedsignificantly fewer cases of UTIs. Studies in younger women have been similarlypositive.

In addition, when taken at the same time as prescription antibiotics for aUTI, cranberry juice or cranberry extract in supplement form may lessen theduration of the infection and help to ease such symptoms as itching, burning,and pain. In general, however, this herbal remedy is better taken to preventrecurrent UTIs than to treat a potentially serious infection that has alreadydeveloped.

Reduce the risk for kidney stones. Anecdotal reports indicate thatcranberry may help to reduce the risk of infection when you have this painfulcondition, also commonly referred to as urinary stones and "bladder gravel."