It’s no longer just a wives’ tale: Cranberry juice really can help with urinary tract infections.
That’s according to a new study out of Bond University in Australia. The research, a meta-analysis of more than 20 clinical trials over the past 30 years that included 3,091 participants — mostly female, 4 to 87 years old — found three main benefits of cranberry juice.
1. Cranberry juice helps protect against UTIs
Increasing fluids of any kind lowered the chance of getting a UTI, as did taking cranberry compounds in whatever form, including tablets. The analysis found that people who drink cranberry juice were 54 percent less likely to develop UTIs.
2. Cranberry juice lessened the need to use antibiotics by 59 percent
Why does that matter? Antibiotic resistance is increasing, so it’s important to find nondrug remedies for UTIs and other infections.
“Some studies have found that in 90 percent of people with UTIs, the bugs [that cause the infections] have some form of antibiotic resistance … so we’re on the doorstep of having UTIs that are unable to be treated by modern medications,” says lead researcher Christian Moro, associate professor of science and medicine at Bond University. “The body has its own immune system fighting these bacteria … but flushing it out with fluids gives the body another chance to fight the infection.” The research found that increasing the intake of fluids in general helped lower antibiotic use but only by about 25 percent.
3. Taking cranberry in any form, liquid or tablet, reduced the symptoms of UTIs
Cranberry juice and cranberry compounds helped alleviate pain with urination, urinary leakage, an urgent need to pee, fever, achiness, foul-smelling urine and fatigue by more than five times. If you can’t stand the bitter taste of cranberry juice and don’t want the extra sugar (and calories) of sweetened juice, “cranberry supplements will give you those same benefits,” Moro says, recommending that people consume plenty of liquids as well.
Not a substitute for medical treatment
Does this research — which looked at individuals of any age and gender who were at risk for UTIs but excluded studies of catheterized patients — mean that cranberry juice is a treatment for UTIs? No, Moro says. “Cranberry juice can’t treat UTIs, and we’re not looking for that,” he says. “We’re looking to reduce patients’ reliance on antibiotics. There’s a real interest in pursuing, as quickly as we can, non-drug interventions or lifestyle changes that can help with prevention and treatment.”
For more information on the impact of cranberry juice on UTI’s, from AARP, CLICK HERE.
