Will drinking cranberry juice help prevent bladder infections?

Question: Will drinking cranberry juice help prevent bladder infections?

Answer: Drinking cranberry juice is a useful home remedy for preventing bladder infections, also known as urinary tract infections or cystitis, in women. These infections are caused by bacteria that travel from the urethra up into the urinary bladder.

Urinary tract infections can be quite painful. Women may feel like they need to urinate frequently, have a burning pain while urinating and may even see blood in the urine. Medical treatment is needed for cystitis and usually involves antibiotics.

Some women experience frequent, reoccurring urinary infections even with medical treatment. So a home remedy that can help decrease the number and severity of the bladder infections is drinking cranberry juice. A substance present in cranberry juice prevents bacteria from adhering to the walls of the bladder so that infections aren't as likely to occur.

The exact dosage of cranberry juice isn't completely clear, and the sour taste may make it difficult for many women to want to continue taking it. Fortunately, concentrated cranberry capsules (buy direct) or tablets are available, and they appear to be just as effective without the sour taste.

Preventing Urinary Tract Infections

• Drink seven ounces of cranberry juice daily. Remember to buy 100% cranberry juice, not cranberry juice drinks or cocktails because they contain much less cranberry juice and a lot of sugar.
• If you prefer, you can take cranberry juice tablets. Be sure to follow the instructions on the label.
• Drink plenty of water. When you drink more water, you will urinate frequently. This will flush the urethra frequently and remove the bacteria.
• Wipe your genital area from front to back after a bowel movement or urination. This will help keep bacteria from the vagina and anus away from your urethra.
• Take showers instead of baths.

While research supports that cranberry juice prevents urinary tract infections in women, it may not be true for men or children. Women should speak with their doctors if they are taking medications because drinking large amounts of cranberry juice may interact with some medications such as anticoagulants.

_Sources:

Jepson RG, Mihaljevic L, Craig J. "Cranberries for preventing urinary tract infections." Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2004;(1):CD001321.

Stothers L. "A randomized trial to evaluate effectiveness and cost effectiveness of naturopathic cranberry products as prophylaxis against urinary tract infection in women." Can J Urol. 2002 Jun;9(3):1558-62.

Mayo Clinic. "Cystitis." Infectious Disease. Published March 2007.