Heartz Nutrition

I believe most people may start to consume cranberry juice as a treatment as opposed to prevention of a urinary tract infection (UTI). To date there is no evidence that cranberry juice can treat urinary tract infections but it can be used as a preventative measure. How does cranberry juice work to prevent UTIs?

Researchers believe that the combination of fructose and substances called proanthocyanidins found in cranberries prevent bacteria (particularly E. coli) from sticking to the walls of the bladder and infecting the surface of the urinary tract. The cranberry juice phytochemicals bind to the bacteria and changes their structure; specifically it changes the shape of their fimbriae making them more compressed.

Fimbriae, hair-like projects, are found on many of these virulent bacteria. They are believed to be used to form strong bonds between the bacteria and the bladder cells. The compounds in cranberry juice prevent the bacteria from getting close enough to latch onto the cells in the bladder walls and then they're excreted. Without cranberry juice, the fimbriaed bacteria attach readily to the cells.

Cranberry juice targets the right bacteria--those that cause disease--but has no effect on non-pathogenic organisms, suggesting that cranberry juice will not disrupt bacteria that are part of the normal gut flora. To obtain the antibacterial benefits of cranberry, one must consume cranberry juice regularly, perhaps daily. There is no evidence suggesting that the active components of cranberries can remove the bacteria once they are attached to the bladder wall. Therefore, cranberry juice is preventative and not a treatment once a UTI has been diagnosed.

It is not clear how much juice should be consumed. A general recommendation is 10 oz per day of a juice with a 30% concentration as this has been what was provided to the participants in many studies in order to obtain a preventative effect. Either regular cranberry juice cocktail or diet (sugar-free) cranberry juice can be consumed as each produce similar results.

Finally, cranberries (fruit or juice) are high in antioxidants (proanthocyanideins) and may also help in the prevention of heart disease.