The tart, red cranberry has long held a respected place in botanical traditions, both for its high nutritional value and its support for the urinary tract. Until recently, scientists lacked an explanation for cranberry's beneficial properties, but today, modern pharmacology is beginning to provide answers.

Studies have confirmed cranberry�s support for the urinary tract and have begun to identify how it works. Drawing on this knowledge, and Michael Tierra�s more than 30 years of clinical experience, Planetary Herbals has developed a dynamic urinary tract support formula: Cranberry Bladder Defense. Cranberry Bladder Defense combines the traditional wisdom of herbalists with modern scientific research, offering you cranberry in a highly concentrated form�without the sugar commonly used in juices and with additional herbs renowned for cleansing and tonifying the bladder.

The Best of Science and Tradition
Cranberries were esteemed for their high nutritional value by Native Americans, who combined them with dried meat and fats into pemmican cakes. They introduced the berry to the early colonists, who enthusiastically seized on the refreshing New World fruit�but added lots of sugar to their cranberry puddings and tarts to eliminate the sourness and astringent quality. In the 1880s, cranberry was recognized for its specific benefits to the urinary tract by German physicians who noted its cleansing properties.

Cranberry�s Plant Acids are the Key
Modern research has identified several important compounds associated with cranberry. Most important of these are the anthocyanins�a unique class of flavonoids that give certain plants their blue and red colors�and a family of unique plant acids. Anthocyanins are powerful antioxidants which can scavenge free radicals. Cranberry�s plant acids, including quinic, malic, citric, and benzoic acids, along with ascorbic acid (vitamin C), help to reduce the pH of the urinary tract, helping to support a healthy bladder. In addition, the astringency of the plant acids, including vitamin C, helps to add tonicity to the genitourinary tract, thereby supporting the integrity of healthy tissue.

The cranberry extract used in Cranberry Bladder Defense is a highly concentrated plant preparation. Because it is concentrated, it contains more of cranberry�s beneficial constituents than either the actual fruit or the powdered herb. The extract also is readily absorbed into the bloodstream because it does not contain the indigestible components of the plant�s cell walls.

Renowned Herbs from North America and China
Cranberry Bladder Defense was developed by world renowned herbalist and author Michael Tierra. It combines some of North America�s finest supportive herbs including: echinacea, the Purple Cone Flower used for hundreds of years by Native Americans to support natural defenses; uva ursi, one of nature�s finest urinary tract tonifiers, and marshmallow root, one of North America�s most renowned soothing demulcents. These are then blended with specific Chinese botanicals, creating a comprehensive and dynamic approach to supporting a healthy genitourinary tract.

Cranberry's unique constituents are noted for their anti-adhesion qualities, which support a healthy genitourinary tract. Planetary Herbals Cranberry Bladder Defense™ combines cranberry with echinacea, one of North America’s most respected botanicals to support our immune system, and uva ursi, highly valued for its support of the genitourinary system.