Does cranberry juice actually help a UTI?

Image: istock

It’s the question we ask ourselves every time we feel that burny, uncomfortable feeling coming on down there: does cranberry juice actually help cure a urinary tract infection?

About 60 per cent of women will experience the pain and discomfort that comes with having a UTI or cystitis over their lifetime. So it’s probably about time we learned to deal with them effectively, right?

Cystitis happens when certain bacteria get into the urinary tract and start to multiply. These bacteria can cause inflammation of the urinary tract, and boom – it’s suddenly VERY uncomfortable down there. In extreme causes, it can even cause kidney infections.

We’ve just busted one of the biggest period myths of all-time. Period.

While we’d love to think that drinking a glass or two of delicious cranberry juice was going to fix our UTI woes completely, science says this isn’t the case. Sorry to burst your (delicious) bubble.

In 2012, researchers at the University of Rennes in France, found that compounds in cranberries could block up to 80 per cent of the bacteria E. coli from attaching to the cells lining the urethra. While the researchers of the study, that was published in the Journal of Medicinal Food, did suggest that cranberries could be beneficial in treating UTIs, they couldn’t outright confirm that they could combat them alone.

Yep, no longer can you justify feeling like a (total) health god when sipping on a cranberry juice concoction.

“There is an active ingredient in cranberries that can prevent adherence of bacteria to the bladder wall,” urologist Courtenay Moore, MD told the Cleveland Clinic. “But most of the studies have shown that juice and supplements don’t have enough of this active ingredient, A-type proanthocyanidins, to prevent bacteria from sticking to the urinary tract.”

So while cranberries can be effective in helping to prevent the severity of a UTI, they can’t solve the situation on their own.

How to get rid of your UTI

1. See you doctor if it’s happening to you.

While an increase, or change, in sexual activity can be the cause of cystitis, its not the only source. UTIs are also prevalent in pregnant women, menopausal women, people with diabetes and elderly people. If you’re finding that you’re getting UTIs over and over again, see your doctor, stat. They’ll most likely prescribe you an antibiotic, and you can talk through your options.

2. Balance “good” bacteria with bad.

Hook yourself up with a good probiotic. And take it daily. “You want more healthy bacteria so less bad bacteria can adhere to the vagina,” Dr Moore says. Rushing to the grocery store for yoghurt isn’t enough, though. “Not all yogurt brands have probiotics in them, and you’d have to eat about seven a day to get what you need,” she says.

Is Fifty Shades to blame for the increase in sex toy injuries?