It’s not an urban myth after all: drinking cranberry juice really does prevent UTIs (urinary tract infections).
Cranberries—either as a juice, supplements or capsules—can reduce the risk of a recurring UTI by as much as 53 percent, say researchers from the Cochrane Collaboration.
Although a UTI can be treated with antibiotics, the infection often recurs, and can even spread to the kidneys if it’s not treated. It’s estimated that around one-third of all women will suffer at least one UTI at some time.
The best strategy is prevention, the researchers say, and drinking cranberry juice or taking a supplement can help prevent a recurrence. For women who regularly suffer from recurring UTIs, the risk falls by more than 25 percent, in children, by around 50 percent, and for women who became susceptible to recurring UTIs following medical treatment, by around 53 percent.
The researchers took another look at around 50 studies that had tracked more than 9000 women.
Eating cranberries for bladder problems has been a common practice for centuries among many cultures.
