British blackcurrants reduce MRSA.

 

British blackcurrants are known to help prevent Alzheimer’s disease, fight cancer, UTI infections and heart disease. NEW remarkable scientific research into this small but mighty superfood has been found to effectively prevent the dreaded MRSA bacteria that lurks in our hospitals.

 

We are exposed to bacteria on a daily basis and more often than not they cause us no harm. Most infections can be treated with general antibiotics such as methicillin, however over use of such antibiotics has led to a dramatic increase in bacteria which are antibiotic resistant. Staphylococcs aureus, more commonly known as MRSA, is normally harmless but due to its durability it can be fatal if picked up by those already weak or ill, especially in hospitals.

 

Scientific studies have found that the best way to ward off damaging bacteria may reside in our food. Research (3-4) has found that special compounds found in British Blackcurrants are particularly effective at inhibiting MRSA growth and at the same time successfully stopped the development of many other bad bacteria including Salmonella and Listeria.

 

Derek Stewart, from the Scottish Crop Research Institute says: “It is clear from the increasing numbers of scientific studies that the natural compounds found routinely in blackcurrants show a diverse range of anti microbial activities which may help reduce the incidence of or help alleviate the symptoms of infection by the life threatening ones known as MRSA.”

 

Eating blackcurrants or drinking blackcurrant juice as part of a healthy diet, is an easy, natural way to improve your antioxidant intake and maintain a healthy lifestyle, ward off infections and a fine way to load the body with the wonder compounds found in blackcurrants.

 

British blackcurrants are extremely high in health promoting compounds called proanthocyanidins, anthocyanins and ellagitannins (1-3). It is these proanthocyanidins that have been successfully shown to interfere with the bad bacteria and their proliferation.

 

Data references:

 

1. H Cavanagh (2003) Antibacterial Activity of Berry Fruits Used for Culinary Purposes. Journal of Medicinal Food. Vol. 6, No. 1: 57-61.

 

2. D Leitão et al. (2005) Antibacterial Screening of Anthocyanic and Proanthocyanic Fractions from Cranberry Juice. Journal of Medicinal Food. 8, 36-40

 

3. R. Puupponen-Pimia et al (2005) Berry phenolics selectively inhibit the growth of intestinal pathogens. Journal of Applied Microbiology 2005, 98, 991–1000.

 

4. R. Puupponen-Pimiae et al. (2001) Antimicrobial properties of phenolic compounds from berries. Journal of Applied Microbiology 2001, 90, 494-507