ScienceDaily (Jan. 10, 2008)

Medicinal "Teflon"

The remarkable healing property in cranberries stems from a heavy molecule known as non-dialyzable material or NDM. This molecule, isolated by Prof. Ofek and his colleagues, seems to coat some bodily surfaces with Teflon-like efficiency, preventing infection-causing agents from taking root.

Surprisingly, NDM appears to have no effect on some of the good bacteria in our bodies, says Prof. Ofek. His seminal research on the subject, in collaboration with Prof. Nathan Sharon from the Weizmann Institute, appeared in the world’s leading medical journal, the New England Journal of Medicine, in 1991. “We understood that there was something in cranberry juice that doesn’t let infections adhere to a woman’s bladder," Prof. Ofek says. "We figured it was a specific inhibitor and proved this to be the case.” ....
He continues, “The take-home message is that ... this fruit [has] a polyphenolic material. We still don't know its chemical formula, but it seems to target a fraction of bacteria and viruses.” Today, a cranberry research team comprised of scientists from across Israel, and headed by Professors Ofek and Weiss, are investigating the berry's healing powers. Recently, it was found that cranberry NDM may also act as an anti-cancer agent. The scientific research methods behind the research have been patented by Tel Aviv University. Prof. Ofek’s recommendation is that women drink two glasses a day to treat certain infections. And because “there is still so much we don’t know about cranberries, I would suggest that men also drink two glasses a day,” he concludes.

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Rutgers University

Researchers from Rutgers University in New Jersey and the University of Michigan discovered that regular consumption of cranberry juice cocktail may offer protection against certain antibiotic resistant bacteria that cause urinary tract infections (UTIs). Their findings were published in a research letter to the editor in the 19 June 2002 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

The scientists tested the effectiveness of cranberry juice cocktail in disabling a number of Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria, some of which are resistant to certain drugs. Preventing UTIs could potentially reduce the use of antibiotics, and subsequently reduce further development of antibiotic resistance.

"We found that when subjects consumed cranberry juice cocktail, their urine was capable of preventing not only susceptible, but antibiotic-resistant bacteria from attaching to the urinary tract," said Amy B. Howell, research scientist at Rutgers and lead investigator of the study. "Cranberry acts to promote flushing of these problematic bacteria from the bladder into the urine stream, which should result in a lower rate of infection."

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University of Maryland Medical Center

Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) has been used as both a food and a medicine for centuries. It is native to North America and was used by Native Americans to treat bladder and kidney diseases. Early settlers from England learned to use the berry both raw and cooked for many ailments, including appetite loss, stomach problems, blood disorders, and scurvy, caused by not getting enough vitamin C. Cranberry is best known for preventing urinary tract infections (UTIs), commonly caused by bacteria known as Escherichia coli (E. coli). At first, scientists thought cranberry worked by making urine acidic enough to kill the bacteria. Now, studies show that cranberry actually prevents bacteria from attaching to the walls of the urinary tract. Strong scientific studies support using cranberry, either in capsules or as juice, for preventing -- though not treating -- UTIs.

Several studies indicate that cranberry helps prevent UTIs of the bladder and urethra (the tube that drains urine from the bladder), particularly for women who have frequent UTIs. In one study of older women, cranberry juice reduced the amount of bacteria in the bladder compared to placebo. Another study showed that younger women with a history of frequent UTIs who took cranberry capsules had fewer UTIs compared to those who took placebo.

However, studies suggest that cranberry doesn' t work once you have a UTI. That' s because in preventing UTIs, it helps keep bacteria from attaching to the urinary tract. But it's less effective once the bacteria have already attached. For this reason, cranberry is more effective at preventing UTIs than treating them. UTIs should be treated with conventional antibiotics.

Read more at: http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/cranberry-000235.htm#ixzz1jg97Aj6B

Dr. Michael Blue, M.D., Urologist - Progressive Laboratories Norman, OK

D-Mannose is a natural occurring simple sugar that appears to be a safe, practical alternative for the treatment of urinary tract infections (UTI's). D-Mannose is absorbed eight times slower than glucose, and when ingested, is not converted to glycogen or stored in the liver, but rather goes directly to the blood stream from the upper GI tract. Hence, D-Mannose is mostly filtered through the kidneys and routed to the bladder.

The bladder lining is comprised of polysaccharide molecules. Finger-like projections on the cell surface of E. coli b acteria adhere to these molecules, initiating an infection. In the presence of D-Mannose, E. coli preferentially attach to D-Mannose molecules forming a complex which is expelled with the next voiding.

D-Mannose probably works 80-90% of the time because the bacteria disabled by Mannose causes 80-90% of UTI's. Whereas antibiotic treatment radically changes GI bacterial populations required for good health, potentially causing fungal or gastrointestinal infections, D-Mannose removes 'bad' bacteria by attachment and voiding.

Study subjects were Dr. Michael Blue's long-term patients, who had a history of reoccurring UTI's. Subjects included 42 females (12-83 years old) and 18 males (25-71 years old). After urine culture to determine specific bacterial cause, if any, subjects were started on a D-Mannose daily regimen. Of the 42 female subjects, 24 were confirmed by culture to have a UTI. In 19 cases (~80%), E. coli was the diagnosed cause, in four, Klebsiella, and in one, mixed bacteria. In the confirmed culture group, two scoops of D-Mannose daily were given for one week. Of the 12 (50%) who returned for follow-up cultures, eight were negative. Patients indicated that the symptoms had disappeared.

Statistically, 17 of the 24 (71%) females in the confirmed-culture, D-mannose-treated group reported symptom improvement. Although three of the 24 (12.5%) were unable to be contacted, they did not return for additional treatment. Only four of 24 (17%) reported no symptom improvement after D-Mannose treatment. Those females who were not confirmed by culture to have bacterial UTI but had UTI-associated symptoms were classified into a painful-bladder-syndrome (PBS) group. Of the 18 PBS females who were treated daily with two scoops of D-Mannose, 17 (94%) reported symptom improvement, the lone exception being a subject unable to be contacted, but also not returning for treatment. Eighty percent became totally symptom free. Of the 18 male subjects, 10 were confirmed by culture to have a UTI. Seven had neurogenic bladders from spinal cord injuries, three of whom were on intermittent catheterization and four had indwelling supra-pubic tubes. Two men had been incapacitated with recurrent sepsis, retention, and obstructive uropathy. Both men underwent insertion of supra pubic tubes. Once released from the hospital, both were placed on a D-Mannose daily regimen. Improvement was suggested by their ability to avoid additional hospitalization. In the group diagnosed with E. coli-related UTI and treated with D-Mannose, significant improvement was reported. Due to the composition of the male group, few responded as dramatically as females.

FINDINGS: Consistent with existing literature, about 50% of those reporting UTI symptoms were actually confirmed by culture to possess bacterial infection. The therapeutic use of D-Mannose on acute UTI's in this study was effective in eliminating or ameliorating symptoms. In addition, 80% of the painful-bladder-syndrome group became symptom free using D-Mannose. Over the six-month study, three females with different issues showed especially noteworthy responses to D-Mannose. The first was a 50-year old female with neurogenic bladder and incontinence suffering from a monthly UTI. Endoscopically, her bladder revealed numerous areas compatible with recurrent UTI's. After three months of D-Mannose, her urine was sterile, and her bladder mucosa returned to normal. The second woman complained about bladder pain for which she had received numerous, unsuccessful therapies. After one week of D-Mannose, her pain ceased. The third woman presented an E. coli infection and pronounced structural findings in her bladder called Cystitis Cystica, all of which disappeared after three months on D-Mannose.

In conclusion, D-Mannose appears to effectively treat simple, uncomplicated UTI's.

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D-Mannose for Bladder and Kidney Infections
  - Dr. Jonathan Wright, MD, Tahoma Clinic

The “cell walls” of each E. coli are covered with tiny fingerlike projections. The very tips of these projections are an amino acid-sugar complex, a “glycoprotein” also called a “lectin”. E. coli “lectins” have the unfortunate (for us) capability of “sticking” the bacteria to the inside walls of our bladders and urinary tracts, so they can’t be rinsed out by urination.

Unfortunately for the E. coli, D-mannose “sticks” to E. coli lectins even better than E. coli lectins “stick” to human cells. When we take a large quantity of D-mannose, almost all of it spills into the urine through our kidneys, literally “coating” any E.coli present so they can no longer “stick” to the inside walls of the bladder and urinary tract. The E. coli are literally rinsed away with normal urination!

Why is “rinsing away” E. coli with D-mannose superior to killing them with antibiotics and anti-microbials? When an antibiotic is taken, it kills unwanted micro-organisms, but it also kills many “friendly” micro-organisms. Every woman is familiar with “yeast infections” that follow antibiotic use, as the “friendly bacteria” are killed off along with the “bad bacteria”, leaving the antibiotic-insensitive yeast to grow “out of control”. Long-term or often-repeated antibiotic use can lead to major disruptions in normal body microflora, and sometimes to major disruptions in health, especially immune system function. [It's suspected that the "killer" E. coli of recent years are "mutants" caused by persistent antibiotic feeding to animals.]

By contrast, D-mannose doesn’t kill bacteria, “friendly” or “unfriendly”. D-mannose simply helps to relocate misplaced E.coli from inside of our urinary tracts to outside. (Since D-mannose is absorbed in the upper gastrointestinal tract, it doesn’t relocate the “friendly” E. coli normally present in the colon.) D-mannose treatment of E. coli bladder and urinary tract infections is ecologically sound treatment. (The very small amounts of D-mannose metabolized by our bodies and not excreted into the urine are harmless.)