Can cranberries cure Urinary Tract Infections? 'Yes', says new study

Whenever we look for home remedies for Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) on the internet, cranberries pop up on our screens. That makes us wonder - are they any good to treat the painful condition most women experience at least once in their lifetime? That's 50 to 60 per cent of women to be exact, according to a study titled Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections Management in Women published in the National Library of Medicine journal.

To answer the cranberry question, researchers reviewed 50 previous trials covering 8,857 participants. And, they found out that "drinking cranberries as a juice or taking capsules reducesthe number of UTIs in women with recurrent cases, in children and in people susceptible to UTIs following medical interventions such as bladder radiotherapy".

The study says that the risk of developing a UTI reduces by more than a quarter in women with recurrent cases of infection, by over a half in children, and by just over a half for people likely to get UTIs after medical procedures.

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"The studies we looked at included a range of methods to determine the benefits of cranberry products," says epidemiologist Jacqueline Stephens from Flinders University in Australia.

"The vast majority compared cranberry products with a placebo or no treatment for UTI and determined drinking cranberries as a juice or taking capsules reduced the number of UTIs in women with recurrent cases, in children and in people susceptible to UTIs following medical interventions such as bladder radiotherapy."

Very few participants in the 50 trials reported side effects, stomach pain being the most common. And, they didn't compare cranberry products directly to antibiotics or probiotics.The vast majority compared cranberry products with a placebo or no treatment for UTIs.

Other reported gaps in the study are: Thefindings don't apply across the board.No benefits of cranberries were shown for pregnant ladies,older adults, or people with bladder emptying problems.However, it does show a reduced risk of UTIs in some groups of people.

"This incredible result didn't really surprise us, as we're taught that when there's more and better evidence, the truth will ultimately come out," says epidemiologist Gabrielle Williams from The Children's Hospital at Westmead in Australia.

Cranberries have been used by Native Americans for many yearsto treat bladder and kidney ailments. Therapeutic applications of the berrydate back to the 17th century, as an effective remedy for blood disorders, stomach ailments, nausea, liver problems,and in some cases, even cancer. Before the discovery of antibiotics like Norflox 400, cranberry was considered a popular treatment for UTIs. However, scientific evidence to back this traditional remedy is still limited.

Speaking to WION, Dr Aabha Bhalerao, consultant gynaecologist at Ruby Hall Clinic, stated, "Urinary tract infection is the most common infection that affects us women, ranging from mild burning urination to cystitis with high-grade fever. Recurrent UTI is more than 2 episodes of infection in the past 12 months. Along with antibiotics, cranberry helps is reducing symptoms of UTI since it contains a substance that can prevent bacteria from invading urinary tract mucosa. It may help in preventing recurrent infections and limiting mild infections too."

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