Cranberry has been used as a food and medicinally since the time of the Native Americans, who used it for a variety of conditions, including bladder and kidney disorders. Cranberry is a rich source of antioxidants, including vitamin C, and may have beneficial properties, such as antibacterial effects, which make it potentially useful in the management of infections of the urinary tract, or UTIs. As with any supplement, consult your doctor before using cranberry medicinally.
Treatment
The urinary tract includes the kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra -- the tube that transports urine from the bladder to the outside of your body. Urinary tract infections are the second most commonly occurring infection in the body. Self-care activities that can help to prevent these infections include drinking plenty of fluids, including cranberry juice.
How It Works
Research has shown that cranberry juice may prevent a bacteria called E. coli, which is the most common cause of UTIs, from adhering to the wall of the bladder and causing infection. A study published in the Journal of Urology in 1984 demonstrated that within one to three hours of drinking 15 oz. of cranberry juice cocktail, significant anti-adherence activity of E coli was seen in the urine of most people participating it the study.
Dosing
Cranberry is available as pure juice or commercial cranberry juice cocktail drinks, which usually contain about 35 percent pure juice. Studies have used doses of cranberry juice cocktail ranging from 1 oz. to 10 oz. daily for preventing UTIs. You can also take pure cranberry juice in daily doses of 4-10 oz. to help prevent UTIs.
Effectiveness
Research has shown that cranberry helps to prevent UTIs of the bladder and urethra, particularly in women who have recurrent UTIs. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 1994 demonstrated that cranberry juice lowered the amount of bacteria in the bladder significantly more than placebo in elderly women prone to UTIs.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Cranberry
- National Institutes of Health: UTI
- Journal of Urology: "Inhibition of bacterial adherence by cranberry juice: Potential use for the treatment of urinary tract infections"; AE Sobota; May 1984
- Drug Digest: Cranberry
- Palo Alto Medical Foundation: Cranberry
- Journal of the American Medical Association: "Reduction of bacteriuria and pyuria after ingestion of cranberry juice"; J Avorn, et al.; Mar ch1994
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