Bacteria can colonize the urinary tract and thus cause urinary tract infections.
This factor is usually a recurring issue depending on the immune capacity of the person and even its virulence and intensity will depend.
In this post we will talk about urinary tract infections and a new product available to Salengei, CystiPlus®.

CystiPlus® contains 175mg of American cranberry extract (Vaccinum macrocarpon) per tablet.
In addition, it has an 80% proanthocyanidin titration, which makes it, by far, a product of high purity and efficacy.

Revisiting history

Blueberries have a rich history of medicinal uses and on both sides of the ocean.
Many of these uses, which were once thought to be anecdotal, are now the subject of intense scientific research, as their consumption has been clinically proven to prevent urinary tract infections.

Until recently it was thought that the effect was due to the acidification of the urine, however, research suggests that the proanthocyanidin compounds present in this fruit act to inhibit bacterial adhesion to the uroepithelium, preventing colonization and infection of the urinary tract.

Remembering proanthocyanidins

Flavonoids are a group of natural products with a wide spectrum of pharmacological properties that have received great attention in the scientific field.
Berries contain high amounts of polyphenols, including flavonoids.
These fruits have gained great prominence lately and are widely consumed around the world mainly due to their healthy properties in a wide number of biological functions.

Proanthocyanidins constitute the end product of the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway.
Chemically they are converted to anthocyanins in the same way that polysaccharides are metabolized to simpler units of sugars.
In chemical terms, anthocyanins are glycosides of anthocyanidins, that is, they are made up of an anthocyanidin molecule, which is agglycone, to which a sugar is attached by means of a β-glycosidic bond.

There are currently more than 600 different anthocyanins described in the plant kingdom and the reported health effects are mainly related to their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity in the prevention of some metabolic disorders. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jff.2013.05.010

Among fruits, blueberries are one of the richest sources of anthocyanins, making them fruits of high interest in terms of bioactive potential.
Anthocyanins extracted from blueberries are widely known as adjuvants in the prevention or treatment of urinary tract infections.

Anthocyanins in blueberries contribute to the prevention and treatment of urinary tract infections

Flavonoids are thought to have evolved in plants to defend them from potentially deleterious ultraviolet radiation from the sun.
Due to their structures rich in hydroxyl groups, they easily bind to protein surfaces, becoming potent inhibitors of some enzyme systems.

Within the broad group of flavonoids, anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins stand out.
Anthocyanins (from the Greek, anthos: flower and kyáneos: blue), are pigments that provide the red, blue and violet colors to plants.
Proanthocyanidins are polymers made up of units of anthocyanidins.

Anthocyanins and bacteria

After consumption, the anthocyanins present in blueberries are intensively metabolized mainly in the intestines and liver.
Glucuronization, methylation, and sulfation are the most typical metabolic reactions.

In one study, proanthocyanidin-rich fractions were separated using vacuum and chromatography.
The fractions were characterized using analytical tools that included two different types of spectrometry.
There was a significant positive correlation between the proanthocyanidin content of different fractions and biological activity in both the antiproliferation and bacterial anti-adhesion assays.

https://doi.org/10.1021/jf049238n

In another study, the action of anthocyanins was measured on some Gram(-) antibiotics, such as gentamicin.
The conclusion was that anthocyanin-rich extracts from the four blueberry varieties studied effectively inhibited all tested urinary tract infections and standard strains, with MIC (minimum inhibitory concentration) ranging from 0.4mg/ml (for Pseudomona aeruginosa) to 9.5mg/ml (for Klebsiella pneumoniae).

The findings were surprisingly effective against Pseudomona aeruginosa in UTI strains, demonstrating a potential new approach in the effort to find new measures to control some antibiotic-resistant UTI strains https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox9060478

Cranberries

Cranberry proanthocyanidins have been shown to inhibit the adhesion of P-fimbriated Escherichia coli to uroepithelial cells, and this effect on virulence is dose-dependent.
Because Escherichia coli accounts for the majority of urinary isolations among nursing home residents, cranberry products remain an attractive UTI prevention strategy.
DOI: 10.1056/NEJM199810083391516

Among the different bioactive substances in berries, phenolic compounds, including flavonoids, tannins, and phenolic acids, have received considerable interest for their effects on diet and health.
There is a great deal of in vitro evidence showing that the phenolics in berries are powerful antioxidants.
However, the antioxidant effect of berry phenolics is highly dependent on the choice of berry raw material, as the antioxidant activity differs between different phenolic components, including anthocyanins, ellagitannins, and proanthocyanidins.

Cranberry contains Proanticyanidins with the ability to inhibit P-type fimbriae in antibiotic-sensitive and antibiotic-resistant E. coli strains

In food, the antioxidant effect is also influenced by the structure of the food. Berries containing tannins exhibit antimicrobial properties against pathogenic bacteria, thus offering many new applications for the food industry.
Much of the interest in berry phenolics has focused on blueberries, both cultivated and wild, although other berries, such as blackcurrants, blackberries and raspberries, also possess promising bioactivities that may have relevance to human health. https://doi.org/10.1002/mnfr.200700006

D- Mannose

The formula contains D-Mannose, a type of sugar present in human metabolism.

Interestingly, the bacteria bind to the mannose molecules present in the uroepithelium and for this reason the infection process begins.
However, such binding can be competitively inhibited with excreted mannose.

D-mannose can promote the elimination of bacteria through urine

The consumption of Mannose will contribute to the binding of the pathogen to free mannose and the colonization of the uroepithelium will be inhibited.
In addition, the binding to free mannose allows bacteria to remain in the urine, facilitating their elimination with urination.

The juniper

Traditional medicine attributes diuretic, antiseptic, carminative and stomach properties to juniper fruits.
Thanks to its diuretic, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activity, it has been traditionally used for the treatment of urinary tract infections. The chemical composition of juniper essential oil includes about 105 constituents, among those present are monoterpenes (58% essential oil with a content of 20% in α-pinene, 8.7% in limonene, 8.5% in myrcene, among others), tannins (proanthocyanidins, gallocatechin and epigallocatechin) and flavonoids (quercetin, isoquercetin, apigenin and amentoflavone).

Juniper has diuretic, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory capacity that contributes to reducing urinary tract infections

Juniper is one of the components of CystiPlus®, which would act synergistically with the proanthocinidins of blueberry, to prevent urinary tract infections.

Conclusion

Many times we get a type of familiar or folkloric knowledge that we deny despite having empirical evidence that it really works.
These are the so-called grandmother’s secrets.
Nowadays, this non-academic knowledge has been valued and there is a tendency to contrast it through scientific methods with a view to validating (or refuting) its veracity.

In the case of blueberries, much has been said about the beneficial effect of prevention and therapy on urinary tract infections.
At Salengei we have opted for a product that M4Pharma had previously been distributing, CystiPlus®.
This supplement is indicated in cases of prevention of recurrent urinary tract infections.

Cystiplus is a dietary supplement based on cranberry 140 mg PAC (proanthocyanidins), D-mannose, and juniper for urinary well-being.

CystiPlus® is a unique supplement with triple efficacy.
These three components work synergistically to combat recurrent cystitis.

• It inhibits bacterial adhesion (Type I Fimbriae and Type P Fimbriae) to the uroepithelial mucosa.
• It inhibits the action of bacterial adhesins.
• Aquaretic diuretic effect.
• Anti-infective, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory.
• Active against Candida albicas.

Its natural composition makes the product a non-aggressive formula for the body.
In addition, its dosage is very convenient:

• In recurrent urinary tract infections, it is recommended to take 1 capsule a day for 6 months.
• In the case of suspicion and at the onset of symptoms and discomfort, 2 capsules a day are indicated, at 12-hour intervals to achieve a faster action.
• If, on the other hand, you usually have a postcoital infection, it is advisable to take 1 capsule before or after and another after 12 hours.

Of course, we always encourage that, in the event of a urinary tract infection with symptoms such as fever and pain, you should always go to the doctor.

We sincerely hope that this article has been helpful and serves as a guide to such a common condition and that, through a natural product, we can obtain excellent benefits.