Cranberries - Do Not Cure, But Are Useful

Author: Karen Lennox Time for reading: ~1 minutes Last Updated: August 08, 2022

Cranberries - Do Not Cure, But Are Useful

Consumption of cranberry juice does not help against urinary tract infections, but the fruits themselves are beneficial.

Cranberry juice in the case of a urinary tract infection does not help in the end, according to a new study.

This type of infection can affect any part of the urinary system - kidneys , bladder or urethra .

Researchers in Texas, USA, want to find out if cranberries can really help with urinary tract infections.

For the study, 160 patients between the ages of 23 and 28 who underwent planned gynecological surgery between 2011 and 2013 were involved. Typically, about 10 to 63% of women who undergo this type of surgery develop a urinary tract infection. .

Half of the participants received two capsules juice concentrate from cranberries daily - the equivalent of about 470 ml - for a period of 6 weeks after surgery. The others took a placebo.

Cranberry capsules reduce the risk of developing urinary tract infections by 50%. Of the group who took them, 19% developed such infections, compared with 38% of those who took placebo.

In infection, the bacteria attach to the lining of the bladder . Cranberries contain type A proanthocyanidins, which interfere with the ability of bacteria to attach to the bladder wall, reducing the risk of infection .

The researchers explained that although the capsules were equivalent to nearly 500 ml of cranberry juice , the patient needed too many cranberries to overcome the infection, as the concentration of the beneficial substance there was significantly higher. Consumption of juice alone would not be effective.

The study data is available in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology .

Cranberries - Do Not Cure, But Are Useful

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