Researchers have reported a surprise finding from a small clinical study -- cranberry juice cocktail blocked a strain of Staphylococcus aureus from beginning the process of infection.
Strains of S. aureus can cause a range of infections, from minor skin rashes to serious bloodstream infections. One particular strain, known as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, is a growing public health problem because it doesn't respond to most antibiotics.
Science Daily reports:
“To cause an infection, bacteria must first adhere to a host, then gather together in colonies to form a biofilm ... [A]nalysis showed that the urine samples from subjects who had recently consumed cranberry juice cocktail significantly reduced the ability of E. coli and S. aureus to form biofilms”.