Cranberries are best known for their ability to heal urinary tract infections. In the last year research has discovered that cranberries stop the bacterium E. coli holding onto the walls of your bladder. Now a new study has shown that cranberries can have quite a different effect that is particularly good news for middle-aged men who need a good sleep.
This study revolves around the prostate; a small gland that sits nestled around the neck of a man’s urethra blithely secreting a contribution to seminal fluid. Unfortunately, around the middle stages of a man’s life the prostate can begin to get above itself and start to swell. We are not talking about cancer here, but enlargement and possible inflammation of this gland. The medical term is benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and it is incredibly common with an estimated 60 per cent of men between age 40 and 59 experiencing the condition.
So what if the prostate wants to swell a bit with pride, you may ask. It may seem that the prostate’s achievement in contributing to semen for a few decades warrants a certain puffing of the glandular chest and if it’s benign, then what is the harm? Alas, the uncomfortable harm lies in the prostate’s location.
Since the prostate sits around the urethra when it swells the symptoms relate to urination. In cases of BPH there is a slow urine stream, urgency to urinate, increased waking at night to urinate (and therefore disturbed sleep), reduced force of urine flow, and incomplete emptying of the bladder. These are symptoms that are uncomfortable and if left untreated can lead on to other problems.
In this new six month long trial, men with BPH were split into two groups. One group took 1500mg of cranberry powder per day and were asked to not eat other foods high in polyphenols (like blueberries, cherries, and grapes). The other group followed the same dietary advice but not take a cranberry supplement.
After six months the cranberry group showed significant improvements (compared to the non-cranberry group) in quality of life, rate of urine flow, amount of urine flow, urgency to urinate, and waking at night to urinate.
This study was done using a cranberry extract but cranberry juice or fresh cranberries may also offer some protection. While the study was small, the cranberries showed no side effects and that is a bonus when you consider that standard BPH medications are known to cause sexual problems, headache, and weight gain.
So gentlemen, if you are a wee bit tired of not getting enough sleep then cranberries may be worth a try.
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