Cranberry Juice

Drinking one glass of cranberry juice a day has proven to significantly reduce the risk of infections and help prevent cystitis.

According to studies, cranberries helps with urinary tract infection (UTI) and gum problems. The cranberry has this enzyme called proanthocyanidins that prevents harmful bacteria from sticking on the urinary tract wall. It flushes out toxins and bacteria. Many drink cranberry juice as a prevention to UTI but it may help curing as well. You won't see instant improvements and be cured after a few drinks, it will take time as once a glider has UTI, their urinary tract is inflamed, swollen and it takes time and anti-biotics to heal the infection.

The enzymes also helps clean teeth. Strange but true. It flushes out bacteria from the gums. Since we can't brush our glider's teeth, we should give them some cranberry juice to help with dental care.

Cranberry juice is known to have various health benefits including:

• Cranberry juice contains phytochemicals, which may help prevent cancer and cardiovascular disease.

• Cranberry juice may help prevent and relieve the symptoms of uninary tract infections by primary and secondary means. The primary means works on the bacteria directly by altering the molecular structure of the fimbriae on the pathogenic strains of the bacteria that cause the infections. The secondary means works indirectly on the bacteria by changing the intravesical pH (the pH of the bladder's contents) making it more acidic.

• Cranberry juice is high in oxalate, and has been suggested to increase the risk for developing kidney stones, although more recent studies have indicated it may lower the risk.