by Kiran Patil
Cranberry Juice Nutrition
According to USDA Nutrition Data, cranberry juice has an abundant supply of antioxidants, proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. Cranberry juice is rich in vitamin C and salicylic acid and in terms of minerals, it contains calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, and potassium. It also contains vitamins like thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, and vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol). Other nutrients in cranberry juice include sodium, zinc, vitamin A, folate, and vitamin K (phylloquinone).
By containing fewer calories per cup, cranberry juice fits very well within the dietary guidelines. This juice is 87% water.
Health Benefits of Cranberry Juice
Cranberry juice has long been used for curing various illnesses. The health benefits of cranberries include the following.
Cranberry Juice for UTI (Urinary Tract Infections)
Cranberry juice can be used to prevent UTI but there is mixed evidence that antioxidant-rich juice can help treat it, according to a report by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. [3] Let’s look at the most recent studies and their conclusions.
A 2016 study by Manisha Juthani-Mehta, MD, and Peter H. Van Ness, Ph.D., concluded cranberry capsules helped decrease the levels of bacteria in urine. For the research, 147 women (65 years and above) living in nursing homes were given two cranberry capsules daily. Urinary tract infection is the most commonly diagnosed infection among nursing home residents. After six months, there was a marked decrease in bacteria levels in the urine of the participants. However, there was no reduction in the frequency of UTIs over the year of the study. The two cranberry capsules contained an organic compound called proanthocyanidin, in amounts as much as available in 20 ounces of cranberry juice.
Studies conducted done by AB Howell et al from Rutgers University showed that these proanthocyanidins in cranberries have shown that cranberry juice possesses anti-clinging properties, which prevent the bacteria from binding itself to the cells on the walls of the bladder. These compounds prevent bacteria from multiplying further and flush them out of the body through urination.
Furthermore, a randomized controlled trial conducted by K Afshar et al. in Canada on the effectiveness of cranberry juice for the prevention of UTIs in children showed that the variety of juice with a high concentration of proanthocyanidins was effective. 40 children aged 5 to 18 years, who were given proanthocyanidin-rich cranberry juice, showed a 65 percent reduction in the risk of UTI.
However, Dr. Barbosa-Cesnik and her colleagues from the University of Michigan School of Public Health concluded through their six-month clinical trial on 319 college-going women, that cranberry juice did not help in decreasing the incidence of a recurrent UTI. The volunteers, who had a history of at least more than one UTI, were given 8 ounces of 27% cranberry juice. They showed no difference in urinary symptoms at 3 days, 1-2 weeks, and in a month, showing that cranberry juice did not have any beneficial effects on people with UTI. So, while cranberry juice hasn’t shown effectiveness in treating an existing UTI, it does have properties that can help maintain urinary tract health.