Cranberry Extract Quickly Improves Microbiota and Reduces Cardiometabolic Risk: Study
Researchers found that taking cranberry extract for four days boosted a healthier composition of the gut microbiome.There are occasions when a lengthy time is necessary before a nutritional supplement can produce noticeable health benefits. However, a study published in Nature Partner Journals (NPJ) indicates that this may not be the case for people who take cranberry extract.The results showed that a mere four days of supplementation resulted in a significant boost in beneficial microbes and a reduction in potentially pathogenic microbes. These effects can inhibit inflammation, a benefit that helps prevent the development of gut cancer, Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other maladies.This discovery adds to the wealth of studies that provide evidence of the link between gut microbiome and general health.Key Beneficial IngredientsThe NPJ study at Laval University and the Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods (INAF) in Canada examined the cranberry extract product, Prebiocran™.Data analysis revealed that Prebiocran™ is rich in polyphenol antioxidants, the most abundant of which are flavan-3-ols. In addition, the product contains oligosaccharides, which are small carbohydrate fibers that may enhance polyphenol bioactivity.Beneficial effects of the cranberry extract likely stem from the combined action of the polyphenols and oligosaccharides, noted the researchers.Effects on the GutIn the experiment, 28 healthy participants were given a daily dose of the extract, equivalent to 60 grams of fresh cranberries, for four days. Evidence indicated that this regimen improved gut health through probiotic properties, which boost beneficial bacterial strains, and antimicrobial properties, which reduce potentially pathogenic strains. The researchers referred to this dual mode of action as “duplibiotic.”1. ProbioticThe probiotic effects involved Bifidobacterium and butyrate-producing bacteria.BifidobacteriumThe cranberry extract significantly increased the colon population of Bifidobacterium, a species that links to a reduced risk of cardiometabolic diseases.In addition, prior studies reported that Bifidobacterium has value for colorectal cancer, diarrhea, inflammatory bowel disease, and neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis, a serious condition involving death of gastrointestinal tissue.Butyrate-Producing BacteriaThe extract raised the number of butyrate-producing bacteria, including Anaerobutyricum and Clostridium.Related StoriesButyrate is a short-chain fatty acid with multifaceted health benefits. It supports normal intestinal function, fosters wound healing needed for repair of the gut lining, and promotes gut motility that aids digestion, stated an earlier study published in Clinical Nutrition.Butyrate helps protect against infection and disease, as well as strengthens the gut barrier, which permits the absorption of nutrients but prevents the entrance of potentially harmful microbes and other substances. In addition, lower levels of butyrate and the microbes that produce it link to poorer health outcomes.Another study published in Frontiers in Endocrinology suggested that butyrate may help prevent Type 2 diabetes because people with the condition have a lower population of bacteria that synthesize it.2. AntimicrobialThe cranberry extract significantly decreased the colon population of Bacteroides, which are potentially pathogenic. This reduction allows Bifidobacterium to consume the oligosaccharides and occupy the Bacteroides’ gut niche.Health Import of the BenefitsBecause many maladies stem from the consumption of the Western diet, a valuable import involves countering its harmful effects, lead researcher Yves Desjardins said in a press release.“This diet alters the microbiota, causes inflammation of the mucosa, and compromises the integrity of the intestinal barrier … Alteration of the intestinal barrier allows the passage of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) derived from the intestinal microbiota, known as metabolic endotoxemia, and is a crucial factor in the onset and progression of inflammation and metabolic diseases,” he said.While inflammation from the presence of LPS can lead to several chronic diseases, including cranberry extract in a balanced diet may improve people’s prognosis, added Desjardins.Magnitude of the BenefitsThe NPJ study characterized the prebiotic effect as “strong.” The fact that it occurred so quickly makes it all the more promising when viewed in context with the low dose of key ingredients.“Normally, these bacteria are stimulated by dietary fibre consumption. We observed the same effect with cranberry extract with a dose almost 20 times lower,” said Jacob Lessard-Lord, a coauthor and postdoctoral fellow at INAF, in the press release.“The dose is indeed relatively low with respect to recently suggested daily recommended guidelines for the flavan-3-ol procyanidin—400 milligrams per day,” Desjardins told The Epoch Times in an email. “Oligosaccharides in the extract were also in very
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Researchers found that taking cranberry extract for four days boosted a healthier composition of the gut microbiome.
The results showed that a mere four days of supplementation resulted in a significant boost in beneficial microbes and a reduction in potentially pathogenic microbes. These effects can inhibit inflammation, a benefit that helps prevent the development of gut cancer, Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other maladies.
This discovery adds to the wealth of studies that provide evidence of the link between gut microbiome and general health.
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Key Beneficial Ingredients
The NPJ study at Laval University and the Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods (INAF) in Canada examined the cranberry extract product, Prebiocran™.Data analysis revealed that Prebiocran™ is rich in polyphenol antioxidants, the most abundant of which are flavan-3-ols. In addition, the product contains oligosaccharides, which are small carbohydrate fibers that may enhance polyphenol bioactivity.
Beneficial effects of the cranberry extract likely stem from the combined action of the polyphenols and oligosaccharides, noted the researchers.
.
Effects on the Gut
In the experiment, 28 healthy participants were given a daily dose of the extract, equivalent to 60 grams of fresh cranberries, for four days. Evidence indicated that this regimen improved gut health through probiotic properties, which boost beneficial bacterial strains, and antimicrobial properties, which reduce potentially pathogenic strains. The researchers referred to this dual mode of action as “duplibiotic.”1. Probiotic
The probiotic effects involved Bifidobacterium and butyrate-producing bacteria.Bifidobacterium
The cranberry extract significantly increased the colon population of Bifidobacterium, a species that links to a reduced risk of cardiometabolic diseases.Butyrate-Producing Bacteria
The extract raised the number of butyrate-producing bacteria, including Anaerobutyricum and Clostridium.Butyrate helps protect against infection and disease, as well as strengthens the gut barrier, which permits the absorption of nutrients but prevents the entrance of potentially harmful microbes and other substances. In addition, lower levels of butyrate and the microbes that produce it link to poorer health outcomes.
2. Antimicrobial
The cranberry extract significantly decreased the colon population of Bacteroides, which are potentially pathogenic. This reduction allows Bifidobacterium to consume the oligosaccharides and occupy the Bacteroides’ gut niche.Health Import of the Benefits
Because many maladies stem from the consumption of the Western diet, a valuable import involves countering its harmful effects, lead researcher Yves Desjardins said in a press release.“This diet alters the microbiota, causes inflammation of the mucosa, and compromises the integrity of the intestinal barrier … Alteration of the intestinal barrier allows the passage of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) derived from the intestinal microbiota, known as metabolic endotoxemia, and is a crucial factor in the onset and progression of inflammation and metabolic diseases,” he said.
While inflammation from the presence of LPS can lead to several chronic diseases, including cranberry extract in a balanced diet may improve people’s prognosis, added Desjardins.
.
Magnitude of the Benefits
The NPJ study characterized the prebiotic effect as “strong.” The fact that it occurred so quickly makes it all the more promising when viewed in context with the low dose of key ingredients.“Normally, these bacteria are stimulated by dietary fibre consumption. We observed the same effect with cranberry extract with a dose almost 20 times lower,” said Jacob Lessard-Lord, a coauthor and postdoctoral fellow at INAF, in the press release.
“The dose is indeed relatively low with respect to recently suggested daily recommended guidelines for the flavan-3-ol procyanidin—400 milligrams per day,” Desjardins told The Epoch Times in an email. “Oligosaccharides in the extract were also in very low concentrations.”
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Further Insights into Microbiome Importance
Gastroenterologist Dr. Rudolph Bedford of Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, Calif., told The Epoch Times that various factors underlie why gut health is so important for wellness.“The gut is probably the largest immunologic organ, and the changing of any immunologic mechanisms within the body will impact overall health in a variety of ways,” he said. Changes in gut bacteria, in addition to affecting immunological uptick, will alter hormonal levels, urological makeup, and “just about every physiological function.”
This is why Bedford believes so much research is looking at the gut microbiome and its links to disease processes. He added that diseases affected include a range of conditions ranging from an array of physical health maladies to mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety.
Beyond the gut’s vital role in immunity, which has broad wellness implications, other factors contribute to the organ’s critical effect on general health.
“There are over 10 trillion bacterial colonies in the gut—a greater quantity than the number of cells in the body,” Bedford said. “In addition, people are exposed to a variety of things, including medications and food, that change the gut microbiome either positively or negatively.”
How to Improve Gut Microbiome
In light of all of the above, efforts to improve gut health are worthwhile. In addition to taking Prebiocran™ as directed, primary ways include eating a healthy diet and getting regular exercise.Diet
Studies suggest that plant-based diets can be beneficial for the microbiome, while animal-based diets can be detrimental. Animal-based eating plans increase populations of potentially pathogenic microbes and decrease populations of microbes that produce butyrate.Exercise
Other studies found that exercise is a factor that can improve the quality of the gut microbiome in the following ways:- Enhances microbial diversity, which is critically important for normal gut physiology
- Improves the ratio of beneficial to potentially pathogenic bacteria, which may help with weight loss and obesity-related conditions, as well as gastrointestinal conditions
- Stimulates the growth of bacteria involved in regulating immunity and boosting gut barrier functions, leading to a decrease in metabolic disease and obesity incidence
- Increases bacteria that can produce substances protective against colon cancer and gastrointestinal disorders.
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