Since the dawn of modern medicine, doctors and scientists have found a way to make things easier to swallow. Yes, drinking pills nowadays seem to be just what the doctor ordered, but who would have thought that the common fruit juice could have a leg up on those tiny poppers?

According to a study done by Terri Camesano, a professor of chemical engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, drinking cranberry juice is a whole lot better than making a pill out of it.

Cranberries, famous for being imbibed on the Thanksgiving turkey, are a good source of vitamin C and dietary fiber. It also contains manganese, calcium, phosphorus, and potassium just to name a few.

That is why scientists have studied the fruit and wondered that if its contents were to be extracted and condensed into a pill, would it be as effective as actually drinking a glass of its juice?

In Camesano's study, she tested a group of flavonoids found in cranberries called proanthocyanidins or PACs. PACs is thought to be the ingredient that gives the berry its properties that fight off infections.

Using E. coli bacteria which form biofilms, the primary cause of most urinary tract infections in people, Camesano tested to see if cranberry juice would be better than just having PACs. In their experiment, her team incubated the bacteria in the presence of two different mixtures of commercially available cranberry juice cocktail. In addition, they also incubated the bacteria separately in PACs, only.

Through this experiment, they discovered that the cranberry juice was able to prevent biofilm formation, while the PACs showed only limited reduction of the biofilm.

"What we have shown is that cranberry juice's ability to prevent biofilms is more complex than we may have originally thought," said Camesano. "For a while, the field focused on these PACs, but the data shows that they aren't the silver bullet."

Camesano and her team pointed out that though the mechanisms of action of cranberry products on bacteria and biofilm formation are still not yet clear, their study shows that the fruit's juice is better than just its flavonoids and PACs.

Aside from preventing UTI, cranberry juice has other numerous benefits. It can increase good cholesterol and reduce bad ones; it can prevent tooth decay; cures colds and sore throats; prevents formation of kidney stones; strengthens bones and teeth; and prevents stomach ulcers and cancers.