Cranberry Juice May Offer Protection from Serious Infections

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is responsible for a variety of infections, ranging from minor skin rashes to serious infections like toxic shock syndrome and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), with deaths in the US from the latter doubling in just a six-year period.  Escherichia coli (E. coli) is estimated to cause 80% of urinary tract infections (UTIs), and some previous studies have suggested a beneficial effect of oral consumption of cranberry juice on the condition.  Terri Camesano, from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (Massachusetts, USA), and colleagues tested a cranberry juice cocktail against a placebo (a liquid that mimicked the appearance and taste of cranberry juice), collecting urine samples and incubating them in the laboratory with strains of E. coli or S. aureus.  The team found that those subjects who had recently consumed cranberry juice cocktail significantly reduced the ability of both E. coli and S. aureus to form biofilms, thin surfaces upon which bacteria can multiply and thrive.