If you’ve ever had a urinary tract infection, you’ve probably heard of the home remedy of drinking cranberry juice. Scientists are still not exactly sure how the fruit juice functions as a natural antibiotic, but a new study has provided a bit more insight.
The bacteria responsible for more than 95 percent of urinary tract infections are a pathogenic strain of E. coli. These bacteria have tiny arm-like appendages called fimbriae that anchor them to the surfaces of urinary tract cells.
Live Science reports:
“... [C]ranberry juice blocks the E. coli fimbriae from grabbing onto urinary tract cells. Cranberries contain large amounts of a chemical called proanthocyanidin, or PAC. PAC functions almost like a shield -- it forces the fimbriae to crumple so they can’t attach to surface of the cells in the urinary tract.”