Twice a Day Keeps the `Bugs' Away; Drinking Cranberry Juice Cocktail Twice Daily is a Clear Solution to This Common Problem.

News Editors/Lifestyle Editors

LAKEVILLE-MIDDLEBORO, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 15, 2004

While an apple a day keeps the doctor away, another red fruit, consumed twice per day, can be a healthy helper for millions of women. It's clear that cranberry juice cocktail can help maintain urinary tract health, but it is only recently that researchers have begun to understand it should be consumed twice per day in order to achieve optimum results.

According to well-documented findings, regular consumption of cranberry juice cocktail may help protect against urinary tract infections (UTIs), even those caused by antibiotic resistant bacteria, by keeping the "bugs," or certain bacteria, from sticking to the urinary tract wall and causing infection. Findings published in a research letter to the editor in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), were the first to identify the duration of cranberry's beneficial anti-stick, or anti-adhesion effect. This research found that cranberry juice cocktail's anti-stick effect starts within two hours of consumption and can last for up to ten, which suggests consuming one serving in the morning and one in the evening provides around-the-clock protection.

"Research shows that cranberry juice cocktail keeps bacteria from sticking to the urinary tract wall - so basically when the bugs don't stick, UTIs can't occur," said Amy B. Howell, Ph.D., research scientist at Rutgers and lead investigator of the JAMA study. "This effect works best when a certain level of cranberry juice is maintained in the system, so drinking a serving of the juice in the morning and one in the evening results in the best possible health benefits." She added, "following a simple 'twice a day' rule is a great way to take full advantage of the anti-adhesion effect to maintain a healthy urinary tract."

A Healthy History

The connection between cranberries and urinary tract health is longstanding. Folklore has long held that drinking cranberry juice cocktail helps maintain urinary tract health. Today, a body of research solidifies this health benefit, and has also begun to unlock the reasons for it.

An estimated 40 percent of women will experience a urinary tract infection (UTI) at least once in their lifetime and these often recurrent infections pose a significant health concern for women. UTIs are the second leading cause of lost workdays for women and lead to over nine million doctor visits every year. The annual health care costs associated with this common and painful condition exceed $1 billion.

The cranberry's "anti-stick" effect may also be a useful ally in fighting one of the world's most pressing health problems--antibiotic resistance. UTIs are among the most common bacterial infections in the U.S. and some E. coli bacteria that cause them are now becoming increasingly resistant to the commonly-prescribed antibiotics used to treat them. Drinking cranberry juice cocktail may reduce the need for antibiotics by preventing the initial infection. Fewer infections may mean less usage of antibiotics. This could be especially helpful for recurrent UTI sufferers.

Twice a Day Tips

Consuming cranberry juice cocktail twice per day is key to realizing the full health benefits:

-- Start the day with a chilled glass of Cranberry Juice Cocktail

with breakfast, and unwind after work with a bubbly 'mocktail'

containing cranberry juice mixed with seltzer.

-- Enjoy cranberry sorbet instead of ice cream - just freeze the

juice overnight and let stand until it's at the desired

consistency.

-- Freeze Cranberry Juice Cocktail in a spare ice tray to keep

juice chilled, but not diluted - and add a few juice cubes to

each glass of water you drink throughout the day.

-- Make juice popsicles for a healthy after-dinner snack.

-- Blend Cranberry Juice Cocktail with low-fat fruited yogurt and

fresh or frozen fruit for a healthy smoothie any time of day.

Cranberry juice cocktail is a food, not a drug, nor should it be used in place of a drug. Anyone who suspects an infection should always consult a physician. Cranberry juice cocktail should not be used as a treatment for infection, but may be an effective part of a prevention routine.

Ocean Spray has provided beverage and food products that offer the healthy goodness consumers have come to expect, while playing an active role in helping families live healthier lives. Ocean Spray continues its history of partnering with families and communities in a healthy and positive way with current partnerships with the National Kidney Foundation and the American Diabetes Association.

Ocean Spray is the number-one brand of canned and bottled juice drinks in the U.S., with 2003 sales of roughly $1 billion. Formed in 1930, the cooperative is made up of cranberry growers from Massachusetts, Wisconsin, New Jersey, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Quebec and other parts of Canada, as well as grapefruit growers from Florida.