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Cranberry juice ineffective against urine infections

12:00am | & Health

Many so-called ‘old wives’ tales’ have some basis in truth, especially those around staying healthy. For example, carrots really do help your vision by helping the body produce vitamin A, and the beneficial compounds in apples could well keep the doctor away if you eat one every day.

But not all these ‘natural remedies’ might be so reliable, with one in particular being ‘debunked’ by scientists this week. Many people believe that a natural way to tackle a urine infection is by drinking lots of cranberry juice, but new guidance from the UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) says there simply isn’t enough good evidence to recommend it.

Instead it suggests people with a mild urine infection should just drink lots of water and/or other fluids to flush out the system, and take ordinary painkillers to ease the symptoms. If the infection is more severe or persistent, then people should see their doctor who might prescribe antibiotics, although these are not always necessary.

Some previous studies have suggested that drinking lots of cranberry juice can help clear up a urine infection, because cranberries contain a substance which can prevent certain ‘E coli’ bacteria from sticking on the walls of the bladder. There are plenty of people who will swear cranberry juice worked for them, but it’s possible that just drinking the high volume of liquid – any liquid – would have had the same effect.

It is far more likely that drinking cranberry juice regularly will help prevent a urine infection rather than ‘cure’ one after it has developed. Even then, you would need to drink at least two glasses a day, every day, over a long period of time to build up a resistance, and it might not work for everyone. Since cranberry juice also has a high sugar content, the adverse effects of doing this could easily outweigh any potential benefit.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are caused by bacteria and in many cases the body can fight a mild infection alone without medication, especially if you drink lots of water to flush out your system. If and when antibiotics are needed, the shortest course that is likely to be effective should be prescribed, says NICE.

It might be more appropriate to get a back-up prescription from your doctor to be used only if symptoms do not improve within 48 hours, or if they get worse at any time. Generally, we all need to avoid taking antibiotics unless absolutely necessary, since overuse of antibiotics is making them less effective. Some symptoms of a Urinary Tract Infection include:

  • Needing to pass water more frequently or urgently than you normally would
  • Pain, stinging or a burning sensation when you pass water
  • Dark, cloudy or strong-smelling urine
  • Pain in the lower abdomen
  • Feeling generally unwell, tired, sick or achy.

If symptoms are mild, drinking lots of fluids and taking painkillers should help. You could also seek help from your local pharmacist, who will be able to give good advice or refer you to your GP if necessary. There’s no reason why you shouldn’t drink cranberry juice if you think it will help, but evidence suggests it is no more likely to clear up an existing urine infection than drinking water.

Professor Mark Baker, from NICE, said: “We recognise the majority of UTIs will require antibiotic treatment, but we need to be smarter with our use of these medicines. Our new guidance will help healthcare professionals to optimise their use of antibiotics. This will help to protect these vital medicines and ensure that no one experiences side effects from a treatment they do not need.”

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