Urinary Tract Health

Urinary Tract

Folklore, Wive’s Tales & Other Truths

Turns out the old home remedy is true. Cranberries can help keep your urinary tract healthy. Naturally, too. Urinary tract health isn’t something most women spend a lot of time thinking about. That is, until they experience the pain, discomfort and inconvenience first hand when the urinary tract is upset. It’s not fun. Did you know half of all women will have at least one urinary tract infection (UTI) in her lifetime? In fact, an estimated 50 million cases are treated every year--with an estimated $1 billion dollars in healthcare costs. It’s also one of the leading causes of missed work for women. UTI’s are just plain bad news. But thanks to the unique PACs in cranberries, you can minimize your chances of urinary tract problems.

Here’s why the folklore is true: A urinary tract infection is caused when E. coli bacteria attach themselves to the walls of the bladder and multiply, causing redness, swelling and pain. Research suggests that the PACs in cranberries make it difficult for certain bacteria, even some nasty antibiotic resistant bacteria, from adhering to the bladder wall. The bacteria are harmlessly flushed out of the body(1,2,3).

Research shows drinking Cranberry Juice Cocktail daily can promote urinary tract health(4-11). The benefits of Cranberry Juice Cocktail start within two hours and can last up to ten hours(12). That means one serving (8 oz.) of Cranberry Juice Cockail in the morning and one at night may better help keep certain harmful bacteria at bay all day. Bye, bye bacteria. Hello healthy urinary tract.

But remember, while Cranberry Juice Cocktail can be an effective part of a wellness routine it should not be used as a treatment for infection. If you suspect you have an infection, consult a healthcare professional.

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1.Ofek I, Goldhar J, Zafriri D, Lis H, Adar R, Sharon N. Anti-Escherichia coli adhesion activity of cranberry and blueberry juices. New England Journal of Medicine 1991; 324:1599.

2.Howell AB, Vorsa N, Marderosian AD, Foo LY. Inhibition of the adherence of p-fimbriated Escherichia coli to uroepithelial-cell surfaces by proanthocyanidin extracts from cranberries. New England Journal of Medicine 1998; 339:1085.

3. . Howell AB, Leahy M, Kurowska E, Guthrie N. In vivo evidence that cranberry proanthocyanidins inhibit adherence of p-fimbriated E. coli bacteria to uroepithelial cells. Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Journal 2001; 15:A284.

4.Sobota AE. Inhibition of bacterial adherence by cranberry juice: potential use for the treatment of urinary tract infections. Journal of Urology 1984; 131:1013-1016.

5.Avorn J, Monane M, Gurwitz JH, Glynn RJ, Choodnovskiy I, Lipsitz LA. Reduction of bacteriuria and pyuria after ingestion of cranberry juice. Journal of the American Medical Association 1994; 271:751-754.

6. Walker EB, Barney DP, Mickerlsen JN, Walton RJ, Mickelsen RAJr. Cranberry concentrate: UTI prophylaxis. Journal of Family Practice 1997; 45:167-168.

7. Kontiokari T, Sundqvist K, Nuutinen M, Pokka T, Koskela M, Uhari M. Randomised trial of cranberry-lingonberry juice and Lactobacillus GG drink for the prevention of urinary tract infections in women. British Medical Journal 2001; 322:1571-1575.

8. Stothers L. A randomized trial to evaluate effectiveness and cost effectiveness of naturopathic cranberry products as prophylaxis against urinary tract infection in women. Canadian Journal of Urology 2002; 9:1558-1562.

9. Howell AB, Foxman B. Cranberry juice and adhesion of antibiotic-resistant uropathogens. Journal of the American Medical Association 2002; 287:3082-3083.

10. Kontiokari T, Laitinen J, Jarvi L, Pokka T, Sundqvist K, Uhari M. Dietary factors protecting women from urinary tract infection. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2003; 77:600-604.

11. Jepson RG, Mihaljevic L, Craig J. Cranberries for preventing urinary tract infections. Cochrane Library 2004; 1:1-19.

12. Howell AB, Reed JD, McEniry B, Krueger CG, Cunningham DG. A-type cranberry proanthocyanidins and uropathogenic bacterial anti-adhesion activity, Phytochemistry 2005; 66: 2281-91.

Additional Research References

Greenberg JA, Newmann SJ, Howell AB. Consumuption of sweetened dried cranberries versus unsweetened raisins for inhibition of uropathogenic Escherichia coli adhesion in human urine: a pilot study. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine 2005; 11: 875-878.

Foxman B, Geiger AM, Palin K, Gillespie B, Koopman JS. First-time urinary tract infection and sexual behavior. Epidemiology 1995; 6:162-168.

Dignam RR, Ahmed M, Kelly KG, Kenman SJ, Zayon M, Kleban M. The effect of cranberry juice on urinary tract infection rates in a long-term care facility. Annals of Long-Term Care 1998;6:163-167.

Henig YS, Leahy MM. Cranberry juice and urinary tract health: Science supports folklore. Nutrition 2000; 16:684-687.

Fagelman FC. Cranberry juice and urinary tract infections: what is the evidence? Urology 2001; 57:407-413.

Leahy M, Roderick R, Brilliant K. The cranberry – promising health benefits, old and new. Nutrition Today 2001; 36:254-265.

Manges AR, Johnson JR, Foxman B, O’Bryan TT, Fullerton KE, Riley LW. Widespread distribution of urinary tract infections caused by a multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli clonal group. New England Journal of Medicine 2001; 345:1007-1013.

Stamm WE. An epidemic of urinary tract infections. New England Journal of Medicine 2001; 345:1055-1057

Santillo VM, Lowe FC. Cranberry juice for the prevention and treatment of urinary tract infections. Drugs Today 2007; 43(1):47-54.