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"Discovery Files" Features from the National Science Foundation
"Cran It"
Fully produced report in MP3 format:
48 kbps |
96 kbps
(90 seconds)
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READER SCRIPT
(DOES NOT FULLY MATCH AUDIO)
CRANBERRY JUICE: THE "YES, WE 'CRAN'!" INFECTION FIGHTER... THE "DISCOVERY FILES": NEW ADVANCES IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING, FROM THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION. WE'VE ALL BEEN TOLD THAT--IN ORDER TO WARD OFF URINARY-TRACT INFECTIONS--YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DRINK CRANBERRY JUICE. IT WORKS, BUT NOBODY KNEW JUST WHY--UNTIL NOW. ACCORDING TO NEW RESEARCH OUT OF WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE, THERE ARE TWO KINDS OF BACTERIA IN THE URINARY TRACT: THERE'S THE HEALTHY, GOOD KIND--WHICH ARE VERY SMOOTH. THEN, THERE'S THE OTHER KIND--BACTERIAL BAD-BOYS THAT ARE BOTH ARE SCARY AND HAIRY. MANY STRAINS THAT CAUSE INFECTION HAVE THESE PROJECTIONS CALLED "FIMBRIAE" THAT THEY USE TO ATTACH TO THE CELLS. WHEN YOU DRINK IT, ACCORDING TO THE RESEARCHERS, THE CRANBERRY JUICE ACTS IN TWO WAYS: IT CAUSES THE "FIMBRIAE" TO BECOME COMPRESSED, AND LESS ABLE TO LATCH ON TO THE URINARY TRACT. THE JUICE ALSO CREATES AN ENERGY BARRIER THAT REPELS THE LITTLE BUGGERS--WHILE LEAVING THE GOOD BACTERIA TO GO ON DOING WHATEVER IT IS THAT GOOD BACTERIA DO. THE STUDY ALSO FOUND THAT--IN ORDER TO GET THE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS--YOU HAVE TO DOWN SOME FORM OF CRANBERRY JUICE ON A REGULAR BASIS. THAT'S A LOT OF CRANBERRIES. THE "DISCOVERY FILES" COVERS PROJECTS FUNDED BY THE GOVERNMENT'S NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION: FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH BROUGHT TO YOU BY YOU! LEARN MORE AT "N-S-F"-DOT-GOV--OR ON THEIR PODCAST.
For additional "Discovery Files" features from the National Science Foundation, click here.
