Cranberries, Vaccinium macrocarpon L.

Courtesy of The Cranberry Institute

[Follow the Wikipedia links]

This is the third of 8 essays on new berry science reported at the

2nd International Symposium on Berry Health Benefits,

Oregon State University, Corvallis

June 11-12, 2007

First a review of background ...

A pandemic of poor diets and lifestyle practices linked to rising rates of obesity, diabetes, cancer, and chronic inflammation, pain and cardiovascular diseases

has swept across the world in recent decades.

Recognizing the urgent need to redirect consumer attention toward healthier eating habits and lifestyles, various scientific and consumer organizations have released advisories

for eating higher amounts of whole natural foods, including color-rich plants like berries.

Health Power of Pigments

Discussed previously from the Berry Doctor's Journal

Every one of 27 presentations at the Oregon Berry Health Benefits Symposium

discussed the potential health values of anthocyanins.

What are anthocyanins?

Anthocyanins (from Greek: anthos = flower + kyanos = blue) are water-soluble

pigments that appear in a general range of red to blue, according to acidity.

In response to ripening maturity and environmental stressors,

they are synthesized by plants and bacteria, occurring in all tissues of higher plants, providing color in leaves, stems, roots, flowers, and fruits.

Read other background about anthocyanins in this series

Part 1

Part 2 (click!)

World native cranberry distribution

A Northern Hemisphere berry -- Courtesy of Wikipedia

Berries and Anti-Bacterial Effects:

The Leading Edge of Research

With the most extensive human research of any berry,

cranberries have been shown to have

• anti-adhesion properties, meaning that tannins and proanthocyanidins (cousin chemicals to anthocyanins) inhibit bacteria from collecting along walls of the urinary tract
• other anti-bacterial effects of cranberries are under current research (summary of mechanisms below)

A review of all clinical trials to date studying the relationship of cranberry juice consumption to lowered incidence of urinary tract infections in women showed that continuous use of the juice for a year was necessary.

Anthocyanins have activity against salmonella and staphylococcus, Helicobacter pylori and Bacillus cereus, Campylobacter jejuni and Candida albicans.

All are pathogens causing common bacterial infections.

Potential mechanisms for antibacterial effects by berry pigments include

• inhibit bacteria from proliferating
• destabilize (disintegrate) outer membranes on bacterial cells
• increase permeability of the bacterial cell membrane, causing loss of cell volume control leading to its destruction
• inhibit enzymes involved in promoting bacterial infections
• direct actions on bacterial cell metabolism, depriving fuel required for growth
• anti-adherence of bacteria to cell walls, inhibiting colonization and infection

A group in Finland has been a leader in this research area for many years.

Read their most recent abstract from the journal, Nutrition and Cancer, here (click!)

For more reading, click on the words "See all Related Articles", bottom right of screen

Courtesy of the US National Berry Crops Initiative

Upcoming Essays from the

2007 Symposium on Berry Health Benefits

1. Obesity and Diabetes
2. Cancer
3. Bacterial Infections (Today)
4. Neurological Diseases and Aging
5. Inflammation
6. Interpreting Anti-Disease Benefits from Preliminary Research
7. Processing and Storage Effects on Nutrients
8. A Dietary Guide

ARCHIVES (click!)

Could information like this be of interest to someone you know?

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Dr. Paul
The Berry Doctor