Consuming products that contain cranberries seems to be linked to preventing urinary tract infections (UTIs), a common bacterial infection in some people. These are the results of a study published in JAMA’s Archives of Internal Medicine.
Women are particularly susceptible to urinary tract infections, and products containing cranberries have long been known as a ‘natural remedy’ for preventing UTIs.
Common side effects of urinary tract infections include:
- burning sensation while urinating
- frequent urination
- cloudy urine
- foul-smelling urine
- vaginal discharge
- lower back pain
In some cases, the symptoms may be more severe and include:
- upper back pain
- bloody urine
- pyuria – pus in the urine
Chih-Hung Wang, M.D., of National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine and his team conducted an investigation in which they reviewed available medical literature to re-assess whether cranberry-containing products prevent UTIs. The researchers state: “Cranberry-containing products tend to be more effective in women with recurrent UTIs, female populations, children, cranberry juice drinkers, and people using cranberry-containing products more than twice daily.”
The team identified 13 eligible trials with a total of 1,616 individuals for qualitative analysis. They included 10 of these trials with a total of 1,494 participants in their quantitative analysis and found that the random-effects pooled risk ratio for cranberry users was 0.62 compared with those who did not consume cranberry products.
The researchers summarize their findings, stating:
“In conclusion, the results of the present meta-analysis support that consumption of cranberry-containing products may protect against UTIs in certain populations. However, because of the substantial heterogeneity across trials, this conclusion should be interpreted with great caution.”
Written by Petra Rattue