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The Romans were the first known society to use cranberries for medicinal
purposes. In 1578, Henry Lyte, an herbalist, documented the use of cranberries
for various ailments. Over the years, cranberries have been used to treat gout,
rheumatoid disorders, scurvy, fever, diarrhea, skin wounds, eczema, and genital
infections.
The theory of cranberry's’ association with UTI prevention
began in the 1840s when German scientists discovered urinary hippuric acid in
people who drank cranberry juice. These scientists found that cranberry
juice drinkers suffered from fewer UTIs than the general population. They theorized that urinary hippuric
acid, found following cranberry juice
consumption, acted as a prophylactic measure against UTIs. Although this
association was later found to be untrue, it initiated the theory that cranberry
juice acts to prevent UTIs.
Most original theories regarding cranberry juice’s effect
revolved around the juice acidifying the urine or causing excretion of hippuric
acid, an antibacterial compound. Now it has been proven that it is the
proanthocyanidins in the cranberries themselves that prevent adherence of
pathogens to urinary epithelial cells and in turn prevent UTIs.
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