Cranberry Juice Passes Test
January 25th 2008
Drinking cranberry juice can reduce the risk of developing urinary tract infections (UTIs), researchers reported yesterday. 
People who are prone to recurrent UTIs may benefit most, say Ruth Jepson of the Department of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Stirling, UK, and colleagues.
They explain that cranberries, and particularly cranberry juice, have been used for decades as a means of preventing or treating UTIs, but the evidence is still unclear. So they examined ten studies of cranberry products including 1,049 participants.
Analysis showed that cranberry juice and capsules may prevent recurrent infections in women, but there was no evidence of benefit in elderly men, elderly women, or people using catheters.
Ms Jepson said: "It’s worth noting that many people in the trials stopped drinking the juice, suggesting that it may not suit everyone’s taste, or it may be too burdensome and costly to drink the two recommended glasses a day.
"We now need to discover how much a person needs to drink, and how long it needs to be used before the juice starts to have an effect."
The review is published in the latest issue of The Cochrane Library. Ms Jepson and colleagues believe that molecules in cranberry juice may make it harder for bacteria such as E. coli to stick to surfaces, making it more difficult for an infection to build up.
In an earlier analysis, Ms Jepson found that cranberry products reduced the risk of UTIs by 35 per cent, compared with placebo.
Jepson, R. G. and Craig, J. C. Cranberries for preventing urinary tract infections. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2008, Issue 1.
Jepson, R. G. and Craig, J. C. A systematic review of the evidence for cranberries and blueberries in UTI prevention. Molecular Nutrition and Food Research, Vol. 51, June 2007, pp. 738-45.
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