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Cranberry
Juice can head off return of urinary infections
By Neil Sherman - HealthScoutNews Reporter
June 29 (HealthScoutNews) -If you've already had a urinary tract
infection, cranberry juice can head off another one, a Finnish
study reveals. Women who had the infection once and drank a daily
8-ounce mixture of water, cranberry and lingonberry concentrate
for six months had half the recurrence rate of women who did not
drink the mix, the researchers say. Lingonberries, related to
cranberries, are popular in Europe and used in juices and jams.
They are also thought to be helpful with urinary tract infections.
"We had been studying the effect of different food items,
especially sugars, to infectious diseases for 10 years," said
Dr. Tero Kontiokari, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the
University of Oulu in Oulu, Finland. "When this study
started, there was a common belief that the sugars in juices [are]
the mechanism of action against urinary tract infections."
To delve further into cranberry's supposed curative powers,
Kontiokari divided 150 women with urinary tract infections into
three groups. None of the women were taking antibiotics. One group
drank about 8 ounces of cranberry-lingonberry concentrate mixed
with water and without sugar; a second group had a daily draught
of Lactobacillus, a friendly bacteria found in yogurt that is
thought to have antimicrobial powers and known to fight yeast
infections. The third group received neither
At six months, eight of the women drinking the cranberry
lingonberry had at least one recurrence of their urinary tract
infection. But 19 of those who drank the Lactobacillus and 18 of
those who received nothing got the infection again. The study
doesn't indicate whether the women were given antibiotics for any
of their urinary infections after the study.
Infections of the urinary tract are common - only respiratory
infections occur more often, according to the National Institute
of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). In 1997,
there were about 8.3 million doctor visits because of urinary
tract infections. Women are especially prone, but researchers have
yet to pinpoint why. One in five women develops a urinary tract
infection during her lifetime.
The infections are not as common in men,
but can be serious when they do occur - the main danger besides
painful or burning urination is that if it's let go too long,
kidney infection can result.
Often caused by the bacterium Escherichia coli, urinary tract
infections are notorious for their ability to reappear. Almost 20
percent of women who have one urinary tract infection will get
another, and 30 percent of those will get a third one.
Kontiokari says it's "phenolic compounds, proanthocyandins"
inside cranberries and lingonberries that may be helpful.
"Both berries are relatives and both contain proanthocyandins
too, but only cranberry has been evaluated for its inhibitory
effect against bacteria. Proanthocyanidins prevent adhesion of
bacteria to human cells either in stool or in urine."
Proanthocyanidins, the blue-violet and red pigments in plants, are
known for their powerful antioxidant effects. The heart of this
study shows that it is not cranberry's ability to fight an
existing urinary tract infection, it's how the juice prevents one
from coming back, says Ocean Spray.
What To Do
See a doctor immediately if you feel a frequent urge to urinate
and a painful, burning feeling in the area of the bladder or
urethra during urination. Often, women feel an uncomfortable
pressure above the pubic bone, and some men
experience a fullness in the rectum. It is common for a
person with a urinary infection to complain that, despite the urge
to urinate, only a small amount of urine is passed. The urine
itself may look milky or cloudy, even reddish if blood is present.
A fever may mean that the infection has reached the kidneys. Copyright ©
2002 ScoutNews, LLC
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