Woodbury Health Center Blog
Can Cranberry Juice Really Help a Bladder Infection?
by Robin Howe on 06/08/10
If you have suffered from it in the past, you know that the letters UTI can be three of the most painful in the English language.
Many women know that when the first signs of a bladder infection appear, a few quarts of cranberry juice can sometimes head the problem off at the pass. According to studies, there is an ingredient in cranberry juice that makes it an effective bacteria-fighter.
For many women, going on another antibiotic is frustrating. There is another way to treat a UTI and it is very effective. But before I get into that, I have some information to share that reveals why UTIs can be so irritating and difficult to get rid of.
In a recent issue of the journal Science, US researchers at the Washington University (WU) School of Medicine in St. Louis explain that when Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria invade the bladder, they penetrate a protective coating of the superficial cells that line the bladder. Once the E. coli is established in the bladder lining, the stage is set for infection.
The WU team used mice to study bladder reaction to inoculations of E. coli. They found that after the bacteria began multiplying in the bladder lining, they formed pod structures that were protected by the cell coating. As the pods developed, they created special fibers that held them firmly in place below the coating. This type of cell organization is called bio-film.
One of the authors of the study, Dr Joseph J. Palermo compared the pods beneath the coating to eggs protected by an egg carton.
The researchers found that after an infection was treated with antibiotics, pods that survived the treatment soon released bacteria to begin a new infection. Dr. Palermo and his colleagues believe that theirs is the first study to reveal disease-causing bio-films that proliferate inside cells. They also believe that this explains why many bladder infections are often followed by subsequent infections after an initial successful treatment.
So, we are clearly, were up against some very clever E. coli. What does one do to gain recovery?
Many women know that when the first signs of a bladder infection appear, a few quarts of cranberry juice can sometimes head the problem off at the pass. According to US physician Dr Jonathan V. Wright, the ingredient in cranberry juice that makes it effective is a bacteria-fighting sugar: D-mannose.
D-mannose has the ability to detach E. coli from the walls of the bladder without upsetting the balance of the friendly bacteria necessary for good health. After being loosened from the bladder walls, the bacteria are rinsed away by normal urination. The E. coli are not killed; they are simply relocated - from the inside to the outside - and the infection is gone.
Cranberry... without the cocktail
But before you run out to stock up on cranberry juice, you should know that Dr. Wright says there is nots really enough D-mannose in the juice to be significantly effective. Plus the extra sugar that comes with most brands of cranberry juice just creates other unneeded problems.
Fortunately, D-mannose is available from many natural health food stores. Dr. Wright says that almost any bladder infection caused by E. coli can be eliminated with to 1 teaspoonful of D-mannose, dissolved in water and taken every 2 to 3 hours.
And there is no need to worry about the sugar aspect of D-mannose; it is a simple sugar, so very little of it is metabolized by the body. Large doses are washed away in the urine, and the amounts not excreted into the urine are so small that they do not affect blood sugar levels - even in diabetics.
Welcome to the Woodbury Health Center Blog!
by Robin Howe on 02/13/10
Greetings! My name is Robin Howe. I am a Continence Nurse Specialist and the Clinical Director at Woodbury Health Products. My team and I have a mission to provide support to the millions of Americans who suffer with incontinence, often in silence and shame. We have the desire to facilitate a healthier way of how people think about incontinence and eliminate the taboo associated with it in America.
A little about me... I received my nursing degree from the University of Portland, Oregon. Most of my 15-year career was spent at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston practicing urology, burns and plastics, surgical trauma and rapid response nursing. I have also been a Hospice nurse; a Clinical Educator at New England Baptist Hospital, Boston; and a volunteer for the Metro-Boston Disaster Medical Assistance Team.
Throughout my career, I have been lucky to be recognized as a leader in the field of nursing and privileged to be awarded a scholarship from the Kenneth B. Schwartz Fellowship in Pastoral Care and Clinical Spiritualism, as well as the Harriet Osborn Jeckell Award for Leadership. As a dedicated caregiver, I energetically founded the Teddy Bear Foundation (TBF), a 501(c)3 charitable organization that helped more than 50,000 underprivileged and sick children across the nation and taught philanthropy to our youth. As a result, I was excited to be awarded Angels Among Us by People Magazine and Heroes Among Us by the Boston Celtics.
I have a genuine desire to make a difference for those suffering with incontinence and I truly look forward to educating, serving and helping people live healthy lifestyles through Woodbury Health Center for years to come.
I welcome all visitors of our Blog to join our conversations, ask questions and participate in any way you are comfortable with.
