Cranberries May Help Treat Damage From Stroke

(HealthDay News) – Consider the humble cranberry, “bogged down” during its growth period, yet full of medical benefit potential that scientists are still discovering.

Long-known to help with urinary problems, the cranberry also could be an excellent preventative to the most damaging aspects of a stroke. At least one study has indicated that cranberries may reduce the cellular damage that is the devastating hallmark of a stroke.

Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States and the most common cause of disability in adults. There are different types of stroke but the most common, called ischemic stroke, occurs when a clot cuts off blood supply to the brain. Without the proper nourishment provided by the blood, brain cells start to die.

Cranberries, which contain high levels of antioxidants, have previously been shown to have health benefits with regards to urinary tract infections and possibly even cancer and heart disease.

A 2003 study, which was presented to the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society, explored cranberries’ relationship to stroke, was partially funded by the Cranberry Institute. Using rat brains, scientists found that exposure to the highest concentration of extract (about the same as half a cup of whole cranberries) caused a 50 percent reduction in brain cell death.

"Cranberries have a lot of compounds that are really strong antioxidants which neutralize free radicals that cause damage to tissues and cells," says study author Catherine C. Neto, an assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth. "What we think is going on here is that the cranberry antioxidants are probably reducing the degree of oxidative stress that the cells are actually experiencing."

After blood flow reestablishes itself after a stroke, there appears to be a high concentration of free radicals that add to the damage caused by the stopped blood flow. "Antioxidants might be neutralizing free radicals that are generated and reducing oxidative damage," Neto says.

Of course, the study results are a long way from producing anything to help stroke victims.

"The study has merit, but you can't make big conclusions from it," says Dr. Keith Siller, director of the New York University Medical Center’s stroke center. "It's quite possible that something found in cranberries is indeed helpful. But to go from the Petri dish to 'everyone should eat a pound of cranberries every day' is a giant leap of faith. Anything that promotes discoveries in this field is of benefit, but this is not a substitute for traditional medication like aspirin or blood thinners."

On the Web

The U.S. government’s National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) has devoted a Web page to the medical benefits of cranberries.

SOURCES: Catherine C. Neto, Ph.D., assistant professor, chemistry and biochemistry, University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, North Dartmouth, Mass.; Keith Siller, M.D., Assistant Professor of Neurology and Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York City; Sept. 8, 2003, presentation, American Chemical Society annual meeting, New York City
Publication date: February 26, 2007
Author: Amanda Gardner, HealthDay Reporter
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