Cranberry reduces risk of Urinary Tract Infections & recurrence in women

As per the new study published in The Journal of Nutrition, Cranberry reduces the risk of urinary tract infections recurrence (UTI) in women. The study was co-authored by Zhuxuan Fu, DeAnn Liska, David Talan and Mei Chung.

The authors conducted several studies to find out the effect of cranberry to reduce risk of recurrence of UTIs in healthy women. The studies include randomized controlled trials conducted from January 2010 to July 2017.

The women participated in the study were healthy, non-pregnant women aged more than 18 years with a history of uncomplicated UTI. They were subjected to a cranberry intervention or a non-treatment control group (placebo).

A total of 1498 women participated in the study from seven different trials, out of which 798 were in the cranberry treatment groups (cranberry juice and tablets or capsules) and 702 were in the placebo or control groups.

Cranberry fruits

Seven randomised controlled trials in healthy women were at a risk of recurrent UTI. The meta-analysis found that cranberry reduced the risk of recurrent UTI by 26% in those who used cranberry products compared to placebo or control groups. Those women with no UTI during enrollment, tes risk of UTI recurrence reduced by 35% with cranberry intervention.

With the result, it is suggested that cranberry can be used as a non-antibiotic alternative to prevent the recurrence of urinary tract infections in generally healthy women. This will be of help to reduce the cost of healthcare.

The authors concluded: “To our knowledge, this is the first meta-analysis to focus on cranberry as a nutritive option to reduce the risk of recurrence of uncomplicated UTI in healthy non-pregnant women,” commented the authors. Results of this meta-analysis suggest that “cranberry can be a potential non-pharmacologic approach for generally healthy women to prevent an uncomplicated recurrent UTI”.

Urinary Tract Infections are common in women and are difficult to treat because of rise in antibiotic resistance. Many researchers suggested that cranberry consumption can be helpful as it interferes with the attachment of bacteria from sticking to the lining of the urinary tract as cranberry contains compounds called proanthocyanidins.

Cranberry health benefits

Women can consume cranberry in addition to self-help treatments to prevent UTIs and also to reduce the risk of developing UTI. Cranberries are low in calories and are rich in antioxidants and nutrients along with vitamin C that can help to boost immune system.

Cranberries have many health benefits as it is packed with phytonutrients. It becomes a good choice for health-conscious persons.

Cranberries can be consumed in many forms like fresh fruit, juice, sauce and dried. All these forms have similar health benefits and can be easily added to the diet.