A urinary tract infection occurs when bacteria invade a portion of your urinary tract, such as your kidneys, ureters, bladder or urethra. This infection type can cause you to experience significant pain and discomfort. While cranberry juice has traditionally thought to be a preventive remedy for a UTI, the juice cannot cure the bacterial infection.
UTIs and Cranberry Juice
Cranberry juice can help to prevent UTIs because the juice contains a substance called proanthocyanidins. These compounds can prevent bacteria commonly associated with causing UTIs, such as E. coli, from sticking to the walls of your urinary tract. The cranberry juice will bind with the E. coli, helping the bacteria to be released via your urine.
Treatment
While cranberry juice can help to keep you from experiencing a UTI, there is no proof that cranberry juice can remove bacteria from your urinary tract when you are experiencing a UTI, according to “Newsweek” magazine. Instead, your physician may prescribe an antibiotic to help your body fight off the bacterial infection. Because the bacteria can progress up your urinary tract to your kidneys -- a more serious infection type that can require hospitalization -- it is important to seek treatment quickly.
Potential
While cranberry juice may not fight off an infection, increasing your consumption while you have a urinary tract infection can help in other ways. For example, increasing your intake of fluids can help to dilute your urine and flush out bacteria whenever possible, according to MayoClinic.com. While its effects in treating infection remain unproven, it can't hurt, according to Susan Moores, R.D. and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association in a “Newsweek” interview. Moores said that if it is effective, you'll use fewer antibiotics and reduce the risk of creating bacteria resistant to antibiotics.
Considerations
If you are not prone to experiencing UTIs, drinking cranberry juice on a daily basis is not necessary, according to “Newsweek” magazine. If you are prone to UTIs, the exact amount needed to prevent an infection has not been established. The best estimate is at roughly 10 ounces per serving based on a previous study the American Medical Association conducted. If you are watching your caloric intake, you can choose a sugar-free cranberry juice version, which tends to have fewer calories.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Urinary Tract Infection; June 2010
- "Newsweek"; Can Cranberry Juice Cure Urinary Tract Infections?; Karen Springen; January 2008
- MedlinePlus; Urinary Tract Infection - Adults; September 2010
- University of Pittsburgh at Bradford; Why Cranberry Juice Works for UTI Prevention; Carol Mulvihill, B.S.N., R.N.-C.; Summer 1999
Member Comments