Active Ingredient Cranberry (vaccinium Macrocarpon)

a plant species of the family vaccinium known for the sour fruit which is sometimes used for urinary tract infections.

Source:

medlineplus herbs and supplements: cranberry (vaccinium macrocarpon)

Medical Condition	Uses based on scientific evidence	Grade*
calculus of kidney	based on preliminary research, it is not clear if drinking cranberry juice increases or decreases the risk of kidney stone formation. cranberry juice is reported to decrease urine levels of calcium, increase levels of urine magnesium and potassium, and increase urine levels of oxalate.	c
helicobacter pylori (h. pylori) infection	based on early research, cranberry may reduce the ability of helicobacter pylori bacteria to live in the stomach and cause ulcers. further research is needed to confirm these results.	b
malignant neoplasm of prostate	there is preliminary evidence that cranberry is not effective in preventing urinary symptoms related to pelvic radiation therapy in patients with prostate cancer.	c
memory loss	preliminary study results show that cranberry juice may increase overall ability to remember. further well-designed clinical trials are needed to confirm these results.	c
neoplasms	based on a small amount of laboratory research, cranberry has been proposed for cancer prevention. study is needed in humans before a strong recommendation can be made.	c
other disorders of bladder	there is preliminary evidence that cranberry juice may reduce urine odor from incontinence or bladder catheterization. further study is needed before a firm recommendation can be made.	c
other nonspecific findings on examination of urine	in large quantities, cranberry juice may lower urine ph, making it more acidic. contrary to prior opinion, urine acidification does not appear to be the way that cranberry prevents urinary tract infections. more research is needed in this area.	c
urinary tract infection site not specified	there are multiple studies of cranberry (juice or capsules) for the prevention of urinary tract infections in healthy women and nursing home residents. while no single study convincingly demonstrates the ability of cranberry to prevent utis, the sum total of favorable evidence combined with laboratory research tends to support this use. it is not clear what dose is best. cranberry seems to work by preventing bacteria from sticking to cells that line the bladder. contrary to prior belief, urine	b
urinary tract infection site not specified	there is a lack of well-designed human studies of cranberry for the treatment of urinary tract infections. laboratory research suggests that cranberry may not be an effective treatment when used alone, although it may be helpful as an adjunct to other therapies such as antibiotics.	c

*Key to grades
A: Strong scientific evidence for this use;
B: Good scientific evidence for this use;
C: Unclear scientific evidence for this use;
D: Fair scientific evidence against this use;
F: Strong scientific evidence against this use.