Cranberry juice has long been recommended for prevention or treatment of urinary tract infections (UTI’s) as an old wives remedy. Many bottles in the juice isle at the supermarket have added cranberry to other flavors to sweeten the drink. There have even been cranberry capsules available recently in the drug stores for people who do not like to drink the tart juice. It was believed that components in cranberries (D-mannose, quinic acid, and flavanols) prevented bacteria from sticking to the lining of the bladder. If the bacteria do not stick, it is flushed out of the bladder with normal urination.
UTI’s can be very uncomfortable and it is understandable that someone would want to prevent or get rid of one as soon as possible. They cause a lot of bladder and back pain and a general feeling of being tired and sick. The urine is generally darker, foul smelling, and burns when coming out. It is very tempting to try an easy, over-the-counter solution such as a drinkable juice.
The most recent review of the available research shows there is likely to be little benefit in using cranberry juice to prevent UTI’s in women who get them frequently. A Cochrane Library review in 2012 looked at a collection of previous studies to see if cranberry juice consumption, either in capsules or juice, was helpful. They concluded that current evidence does not support cranberry juice as a means of preventing UTI’s. They did find that many of the studies had a lot of people dropping out (sour tasting juice!). They also found that many did not specify the amount of the important bacteria-fighting compounds. This was especially true when using capsules instead of the juice. Also, when drinking the juice to get some benefit, 5 oz would need to be consumed two times a day indefinitely. Many people found this difficult to swallow (pun intended).
So what do you do if you have a UTI? If you have any of the symptoms (painful urination, dark, smelly urine, bladder or back pain), go see your doctor. The best course of action is to get on antibiotics to kick the infection. While recovering, it is important to drink a lot of water. Heat can be used to help with the bladder or pelvic pain. To prevent a UTI from starting, wash your hands, wipe from front to back to prevent getting bacteria in the urinary tract, take showers instead of baths, and urinate immediately after intercourse to flush the system.
So what about cranberry juice? Based on this new information, it is unlikely to help prevent a UTI. If you like it, it is fine to try as a part of the increased fluid intake. The exception to this is people who have interstitial cystitis (IC). With IC the symptoms are similar to a UTI (bladder irritation, frequent urination, pelvic and back pain) but there is no infection. The only way to know for sure is to see your doctor to rule out a UTI. If the symptoms are from IC instead, cranberry juice (or other acidic juices) can make the symptoms worse.