Cranberry treatment for urinary tract infections disputed
Cranberry treatment for urinary tract infections disputed
The consumption of cranberry juice through tablets, supplements, capsules or by drinking directly has been recommended in the past for the treatment of urinary tract infections based on the results of a few clinical trials and observational studies. The results of this new study set to dispute these claims.
One group of women that were tested positive for a urinary tract infection such as cystitis were assigned to consume 8 ounces of cranberry juice twice a day; the other group were assigned a placebo. They were told to consume the assigned drink for six months or until a recurrence of a urinary tract infection, whichever happened first. 20 percent of the cranberry juice drinkers suffered a urinary tract infection recurrence compared to 14 percent of the placebo drinkers.
Study author Betsy Foxman of the University of Michigan School of Public Health commented, "We assumed that we would observe a 30 per cent recurrence rate among the placebo group. It is possible that the placebo juice inadvertently contained the active ingredients that reduce urinary tract infection risk, since both juices contained Vitamin C
Another possibility is that the study protocol kept participants better hydrated, leading them to urinate more frequently, therefore decreasing bacterial growth and reducing urinary tract infection symptoms," she said.
