CranSelect
About Urinary Tract Infections (UTI’s):
Most urinary tract infections are caused by bacteria. Any part of your urinary tract can become infected. The urinary tract includes the kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra. Bladder and urethra infections are the most common.
Possible signs of a urinary tract infection
• A burning sensation when you urinate
• Feeling like you need to urinate more often than usual
• Feeling the urge to urinate but not being able to
• Leaking a little urine
• Cloudy, dark, smelly or bloody urine
Why do women get urinary tract infections more often than men?
Women tend to get urinary tract infections more often than men because bacteria can reach the bladder more easily in women. The urethra is shorter in women than in men, so bacteria have a shorter distance to travel.
The urethra is also located near the rectum in women. Bacteria from the rectum can easily travel up the urethra and cause infections.
Having sex may also cause urinary tract infections in women because bacteria can be pushed into the urethra. Using a diaphragm can lead to infections because diaphragms push against the urethra and make it harder to completely empty the bladder. The urine that stays in the bladder is more likely to grow bacteria and cause infections.
NATURAL SUPPORT FOR UTI’S – CranSelect:
CranSelect is a cranberry supplement containing whole cranberry powder standardized to cranberry proanthocyanidins (PACs) using a proprietary manufacturing process and a superior "Early Black" cranberry cultivar.
CranSelect uses PACran™ cranberry powder, the first and only PAC-standardized product on the market.
Cranberries are widely known for their unique "anti-adhesion" activity that protects the body from harmful bacteria that cause urinary tract infections. This anti-adhesion activity is primarily due to a natural compound in the fruit called PACs. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Database for the Proanthocyanidin Content of Selected Foods, Cranberry PACs contain a unique A-type structure, while most other plants contain only the more common B-type PACs. It is cranberry's A-type PACs that are responsible for the anti-adhesion mechanism of action. PACran™ is a cranberry supplement that supplies no less than 1.5% of cranberry PACs measured via the only published and USDA-recognized HPLC analytical method.
Cranberry PACs Health Claim and NIH Studies:
In 2004 cranberry became the only fruit in the world to hold a health claim. The French government's equivalent to the FDA or food safety authority, AFSSA (Agence Française pour la Sécurité Alimentaire), approved the claim that the North American cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) can "help reduce the adhesion of certain E.coli bacteria to the urinary tract walls." Products must contain a minimum amount of cranberry PACs to warrant this claim. More than 11 million women in the U.S. and 2 million women in France experience urinary tract infections each year with 25% of these women encountering recurring infections.
"PACran™ used in CranSelect is a cranberry supplement that sets the bar for all cranberry products on the market since it's the first and only product to guarantee the amount of the active compound responsible for the prevention of urinary tract infections. We developed PACran™ after years of research and development and through the selection of Early Black cranberries which are higher in PACs," said Doug Klaiber, DBS general manager. "While cranberries have long been associated with urinary tract health, there has been significant uncertainty in whether a person is obtaining the necessary amount of cranberry active compounds to maintain their health. PACran™ changes this scenario and will be the basis by which all cranberry products will be compared in the future."
Tips on preventing urinary tract infections:
• Drink plenty of water to flush out bacteria. Drinking cranberry juice may also help prevent urinary tract infections. However, if you're taking warfarin (brand name: Coumadin), check with your doctor before using cranberry juice to prevent urinary tract infections. Your doctor may need to adjust your warfarin dose or you may need to have more frequent blood tests.
• Don't hold your urine. Urinate when you feel like you need to.
• Wipe from front to back after bowel movements.
• Urinate after having sex to help wash away bacteria.
• Use enough lubrication during sex. Try using a small amount
• of lubricant (such as K-Y Jelly) before sex if you're a little dry.
• If you get urinary tract infections often, you may want to avoid using a diaphragm as a birth control method. Ask your doctor about other birth control choices.
FAQ’s about CranSelect
Who will use CranSelect?
CranSelect is indicated for the treatment of urinary tract infections such as cystitis (bladder infection) and urethritis.
How do I know if I have a bladder infection?
If you have contracted a bladder infection you will have one or more of the following symptoms:
· Nausea, lower back pain and fever may be initial signs of a kidney infection.
· Urgent desire to empty the bladder
· A burning sensation when you urinate (painful urination)
· Feeling like you need to urinate more often than usual (increased frequency)
· Feeling the urge to urinate but not being able to
· Sensation that there is urine left immediately after urinating
· Leaking a little urine
· Urine has a strong, unpleasant odour, and may appear cloudy
· In children, there may be lower abdominal pain when urinating
How do I contract a bladder infection?
Escherichia coli is the main causative agent of urinary tract infections. E. coli occurs naturally in the digestive tract. If E. coli leaves the digestive tract (in the faeces) and enters the urinary tract (through the urethra), it attaches to the lining of the bladder and starts to cause the symptoms mentioned above due to the infection. E. coli is a bacteria that may be found in toilets and bathrooms.
What will increase my risk of contracting a bladder infection?
If you have had one bladder infection there is a 20% chance that you will contract a second bladder infection.
The following conditions will also increase your risk:
· Pregnancy
· Sexual intercourse
· Use of contraception methods such as the diaphragm
· Systemic disorders such as diabetes
· Structural abnormalities that restrict the flow of urine (narrowing of the urethra, sphincter abnormalities)
· Menopause
· Retaining urine in the bladder for long periods
· Antibiotic use
· Using aluminum cookware
· Certain food allergies
Why is it that I seem to contract a bladder infection, and my husband never does?
Women tend to get urinary tract infections more often than men because bacteria can reach the bladder more easily in women. The urethra is shorter in women than in men, so bacteria have a shorter distance to travel. The urethra is also located near the rectum in women. Bacteria from the rectum can easily travel up the urethra and cause infections.
Will using an alkalizing agent like Citro-Soda help?
Alkalising agents work for the temporary relief of the symptoms like the burning sensation when urinating. E. coli is a bacteria that likes to live in alkaline urine, therefore the bacteria will be able to flourish when using the alkalizing agent. To get rid of the infection you will need to acidify the urine.
Why does my second course of antibiotics not seem to be clearing this bladder infection as quickly as the first?
Frequent intake of antibiotics results in an increased resistance by the bacteria and therefore there is an increased risk of infectious diseases.
What is CranSelect?
CranSelect provides a highly concentrated form of Cranberry (50:1 extract). CranSelect is in a vegecap so it can be used by vegetarians.
How does Cranberry work?
Originally, it was thought that cranberry juice only worked by producing acidic urine.
However, after there were doubts of this mechanism, as it was found that cranberries prevent E. coli from adhering to the lining of the urinary tract as a result of the A-Type proanthocyanidins that cranberry contains.
Components of cranberries may also be active against other types of infections.
Results of some recent human studies show that drinking cranberry juice may increase the effectiveness of antibiotic therapy for H. pylori, the bacterium that causes gastrointestinal (GI) ulcers.
Other research has found that applying chemicals in cranberries inside the mouth helps to prevent dental cavities and gum disease by disrupting the attachment of bacteria.
How do I use CranSelect to treat my bladder infection?
If I get recurrent bladder infections what can I do to reduce the frequency of infections?
Consider the following tips to reduce the incidence of bladder infections:
· Drink plenty of water to flush out bacteria. Drinking cranberry juice may also help prevent urinary tract infections. However, if you're taking warfarin, check with your doctor before using cranberry juice to prevent urinary tract infections. Your doctor may need to adjust your warfarin dose or you may need to have more frequent blood tests.
· Don't hold your urine. Urinate when you feel like you need to.
· Wipe from front to back after bowel movements.
· Wear white cotton underwear.
· Avoid sitting in a wet bathing suit.
· Avoid any fragrance-containing toilet paper, sanitary pads, tampons, and bubble baths. These chemicals can aggravate the infection.
· Urinate after having sex to help wash away bacteria.
· Use enough lubrication during sex. Try using a small amount of lubricant (such as K-Y Jelly) before sex if you're a little dry.
· If you get urinary tract infections often, you may want to avoid using a diaphragm as a birth control method. Ask your doctor about other birth control choices.
· Include celery, parsley, and watermelon in your diet. These foods acts as natural diuretics and cleaners.
· Avoid citrus fruits. These produce alkaline urine which encourages bacterial growth.
· Avoid alcohol, caffeine, soda, chocolate, and refined sugars.
· Follow a short Detox program.
· Include a probiotic into your daily supplement routine.
What do I need to be careful of when using CranSelect?
Cranberry contains oxalates which can contribute to the formation of kidney stones. If you have a history of kidney stones avoid using CranSelect.
If I am pregnant or breastfeeding can I use CranSelect?
The safety of cranberry extract during pregnancy has not yet been determined. It is therefore not advisable to use the product during pregnancy and while breastfeeding.
If you are trying to fall pregnant, avoid using CranSelect. Cranberry can reduce the chances of conception while being used.
Can children use CranSelect?
Children over the age of 13 years can use CranSelect. It is important to reduce the dose. Take one capsule on the first day and then one capsule every second day thereafter.
