Who Knew Cranberries Had This Effect?

[Guest guest]

Who Knew Cranberries Had This Effect?

 

Can't brush your teeth at work? Just drink cranberry juice instead.

Researchers from the University of Rochester have concluded that cranberry juice

may

help prevent certain oral health problems, including diseases of the gums and

teeth, reports Medical News Today.

 

Cranberry juice does this by preventing Streptococcus mutans bacteria from

sticking to teeth. In order for dental plaque to build up on the teeth--the

first step toward cavities and gum disease--bacteria has to stick to the teeth.

If the bacteria can't adhere, plaque can't develop.

 

Led by Dr. Hyun Koo, the research team evaluated the effectiveness of

cranberry juice based on two daily glasses of a beverage that contained 25

percent

cranberry juice. That much juice inhibited the bacteria from binding to an

artificial tooth in the lab by 67 to 85 percent. Next up? Look for dental floss

and toothpaste made with cranberries.

 

Cranberries may be the new health food. Their benefits are so extensive that

you might want to make them a regular part of your diet:

They prevent urinary tract infections.

They prevent most stomach ulcers.

Their high level of antioxidants protect the heart from cardiovascular

disease.

 

A study from Winona State University showed that low-calorie cranberry juice

decreases total blood cholesterol.

A study from the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth showed that

cranberries may reduce the severity of a stroke in its early stages, the point

at which

the most damage occurs.

 

The antioxidants in cranberries may also help prevent certain types of

cancers. While data is preliminary, researchers are interested in cranberries'

role

in inhibiting the growth of oral, prostate, colon, breast, cervical, lung and

leukemia cancer cells, reports Medical News Today.