It Turns Out Cranberries Can Really Prevent Some UTIs, Research Shows

April 25, 2023 — For generations, people have consumed cranberries in hopes of preventing urinary tract infections.

It turns out it’s actually an effective tool for some people, according to a review of studies published in the Cochrane Library.

The researchers looked at 50 trials conducted to determine whether cranberries in juice, tablet or powder form could affect UTIs. The trials involved nearly 9,000 participants.

“The studies we reviewed included a range of methods to determine the benefits of cranberry products,” said review co-author Jacqueline Stephens of flinders university in Australia.

“The vast majority compared cranberry products to placebo or no treatment for UTIs and determined that consuming cranberries in juice or capsule form reduced the number of UTIs in women with recurrent cases, in children, and in people susceptible to UTIs from medical procedures such as bladder radiation therapy,” she said.

The global review found that cranberry juice and its supplements may reduce the risk of repeated symptomatic UTIs in women by more than a quarter, in children by more than half, and in people susceptible to UTIs following medical interventions of approximately 53%.

“Even in 1973, my mother was told to try cranberry juice to prevent her horrible and frequent urinary tract infections, and for her it was a salvation,” said the study’s lead author, Gabrielle Williams, in a statement from Flinders. “As usual, turns out mom was right!” Cranberry products may help some women prevent UTIs.

UTIs are often quickly resolved by antibiotics, but some people suffer from recurrences.

“Very few trials have directly compared cranberry products to antibiotics or probiotics alone, for example, and these treatments may be as effective as the fruit,” Scientific alert reported. “No benefit of cranberries has been demonstrated for the elderly, pregnant women, or people with bladder emptying problems.”

Urinary tract infections are more common in women than in men or children. They can be painful and cause a series of bladder problems, even going as far as the kidneys and, rarely, leading to sepsis, if left untreated.