Cranberries help urinary tract infections, but not as juice
urinary system, kidneys, bladder or urethra.
More than 3 million Americans, mostly women, experience a
UTI every year.
Symptoms include frequent, painful urination, pelvic pain and
traces blood in the urine. The infection does not normally last
long, and most patients self-diagnose.
For many, the first port of call is a box of cranberry juice.
However, new research suggests that while cranberry
capsules can help, cranberry juice may be little more than a
panacea.
Dr. Timothy Boone, PhD, vice dean of the Texas A&M Health
Science Center College of Medicine in Houston, and colleagues
wanted to know if cranberries can really help.
Cranberry capsules reduce the prevalence of UTI
The team studied 160 patients aged 23-88 years who were
undergoing elective gynecological surgery between 2011-2013.
Normally, 10-64% of women undergoing this kind of surgery will
develop a UTI following the removal of the catheter.
Half of the patients received two cranberry juice capsules
twice daily - the equivalent in strength to two 8-ounce servings
of cranberry juice - for 6 weeks after surgery. The others
took a placebo.
Cranberry capsules lowered the risk of UTIs by 50%. In the
cranberry treatment group, 19% of patients developed a UTI,
compared with 38% of the placebo group.
So, how does it work? For a UTI to occur, bacteria must
adhere to and invade the lining of the bladder. Cranberries
contain A-type proanthocyanidins (PACs), which interfere with
the bacteria's ability to the bladder wall, reducing the likelihood
of infection.
Cranberry juice will not do the trick
However, the researchers point out that since a cranberry
capsule provides the equivalent of 8 ounces of cranberry juice,
a patient would need a lot of pure cranberry to prevent an
infection.
Dr. Boone explains: "It takes an extremely large concentration
of cranberry to prevent bacterial adhesion. This amount of
concentration is not found in the juices we drink. There's a
possibility it was stronger back in our grandparents' day, but
definitely not in modern times." He adds:
He also cautions that a UTI and an overactive bladder may
show similar symptoms, and people should seek medical advice if
any adverse symptoms appear, to prevent UTIs from developing
into kidney infections.
Treatment of UTIs can be complicated. Approximately 20-30%
of women have recurring UTIs, and concerns about antibiotic
resistance mean that both doctors and patients may be
unwilling to use such medication.
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