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Cranberry Juice Against Viruses?
Cranberry juice has long been a prime natural-food weapon against urinary tract infections in women, and studies show that the good juice deters infection by preventing disease-causing bacteria from entering body cells. One study found that when cranberry juice was present, 80 percent fewer bacteria stuck to cells. Adhering to a host cell is the first step in a successful infection.Could cranberry juice also protect cells from viruses? Apparently so, according to research just reported by Patrice Cohen and Steven Lipson of St. Francis College (Brooklyn, N.Y.). When the researchers bathed animal cells in the red juice (we'll call it juice, but it's actually cranberry juice cocktail, straight from the supermarket!), virtually none of the cells got infected by reoviruses or rotaviruses, two common causes of diarrhea. (The researchers used red blood cells and kidney cells, which are common tests for viral infectivity.) Undiluted juice reduced infectivity by more than 99.9999 percent. When cells were bathed in diluted juice, the protection waned. Juice diluted by 512 parts of water offered no protection. Agents that prevent pathogenic adhesion, if one can obtain the effect orally, could be of major value for certain diseases. I am especially thinking of the ever-nearer avian flu, where any trick in the book is a good one. Posted by: Anonymoose 2005-08-05 |
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