Native Americans used cranberries as a food, medicine, dye, and as a poultice to reduce wound infections. The berries were also added to meats to help preserve them during long sea voyages with the added advantage of preventing scurvy with their high vitamin C content. In recent years, cranberry extracts have been found to contain substances called anti-adhesins, which stop bacteria from sticking to the walls of the urinary tract. Several studies have shown that cranberry juice and fruit solids can reduce the frequency of urinary infections.
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