Cranberry juice is a fairly well known do-it-yourself home treatment for bladder and urinary tract infections. There is some debate as to whether cranberry juice provides legitimate prevention or treatment effects for bladder infections, and whether the benefits are enough to warrant the expense. Research has been done, however, to suggest that while it may not necessarily be an adequate remedy by itself--especially in the case of more serious infections--cranberry juice can be helpful in reducing the severity and recurrence of bladder infections for many people.
How It Works
For a long time it was believed that cranberry juice worked by lowering the pH of the urinary tract, leading to increased acidity, which made it more difficult for bacteria to grow. Studies have shown though that cranberry juice barely alters the pH in the urinary tract, nor does it have direct antibacterial properties. Instead, what has been discovered is that particular phytochemicals in cranberries called anthocyanadins act to effectively block the adherence of bacteria to the cell walls of the urinary tract, making it more difficult for the infection to take hold and causing more of the infectious bacteria to be expelled in the urine. In addition, cranberries block a chemical called indole, which the bacteria cells use to communicate with each other, and this reduces the infection as well.
What Kind of Juice to Use
Treatment of bladder infections is most effective when drinking cranberry juice in pure form, rather than as part of cranberry juice cocktails, which are often sold in stores. Although 100-percent pure cranberry juice is more expensive, it has much greater effects and also avoids the intake of added sugar that comes with many juice mixtures, which can make fighting infections in general more difficult. You can find pure cranberry juice at most health food stores, but many mainstream groceries are beginning to carry it as well.
Dosage
Cranberry juice can be used as a preventative medicine for people who suffer from chronic urinary tract infections, or as a treatment for an infection in progress. Three to four 8-oz. glasses per day is a reasonable dosage for prevention, and can be increased for treating a current infection. It is important as well to drink plenty of water during a bladder infection to help flush out the harmful bacteria.
Potential Side Effects
Generally speaking, cranberry juice is a harmless remedy that not only helps with bladder infections but also offers plenty of antioxidants which can have a variety of benefits to a person's overall health and well-being. However, cranberry juice does contain a moderately high concentration of oxalate, which is a component of kidney stones. Therefore, people who have a personal or family history of kidney stones should limit their intake of cranberry juice.
Effective By Itself?
Bladder and urinary tract infections can be serious conditions that if left untreated can lead not only to increasingly uncomfortable symptoms but even cause lasting damage to the urinary system. While cranberry juice can be helpful in treating and reducing these symptoms, it is often not enough to fully treat and cure an infection. For current infections that are serious, it is important to see a physician and obtain a prescription of antibiotics. Chronic sufferers of bladder infections who want to avoid taking repeated doses of antibiotics can help increase their resistance to infection by drinking cranberry juice on a regular basis. There are other natural remedies such as uva-ursi and D-Mannose, which can also help to treat and relieve the symptoms of bladder infections. Diet, stress and the condition of the immune system are other factors that may come into play, so these may be worth exploring especially for those who have repeated bladder infections.
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