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Drinking cranberry juice or taking cranberry capsules or tablets was associated with a protective effect against urinary tract infection, a systematic review found.

The pooled data from 10 studies comparing cranberry-product consumers against nonusers showed cranberry consumption had a risk ratio protective against UTI at 0.62 (95% CI 0.49 to 0.80), according to Chien-Chang Lee, MD, of the National Taiwan University Hospital, and colleagues.

A subgroup analysis found the cranberry products were more effective in women with recurrent UTI, female populations, children, regular cranberry juice drinkers, and those who used cranberry products more than twice daily, Lee and co-authors wrote in the July 9 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.... Read More - http://www.msrc.co.uk/index.cfm/fuseact ... pageid/806

Only once have I had a UTI in the many years I've been taking concentrated cranberry gelcaps. I get mine from Puritan's Pride.

Thanks for the article, squiffy!

Cranberry juice or powder is excellent to treat or especially prevent bladder infections caused by the E. coli bacteria which leaves a recognizable foul smell in the urine. Most, but not all, bladder infections are caused by E. Coli. However, remember that E. coli feeds on sugar, so cranberry juice with sugar won't work as well if at all. If I am traveling or for some reason can't drink water for several hours, I drink cranberry juice beforehand to disinfect the bladder and prevent an infection which can occur if bacteria is allowed to concentrate and isn't flushed out. Apparently Cranberry acts to prevent bacteria from attaching to the bladder wall. Recently I've begun taking Propolis as well which as an antimicrobial.

French hospitals give cranberry extract to reduced mobility patients in order to prevent bladder infections since the lack of motility causes stagnation and germ proliferation.

Cystopurin is the most effective remedy for us in the UK it contains natural cranberry juice extract and potassium citrate combo.
In France they only had the cranberry tablets when was there so I bought potassium citrate separately but it did the trick;)

cranberry juice does not kill bacteria or treat like an antibiotic, it prevents infection and or interferes with the infection process. Thats why a lot of people think the cranberry must have killed their Infection when in fact in most peoples bodies can take care of the infection itself once the spread of the infection has been stopped or inhibited as this is what the cranberry juice does.

However Pomegranate juice does indeed kill the actual bacteria itself.

so a combinaton of both can go a long way.

I was drinking unsweetened cranberry juice to try to help yeast and uti prevention before I was diagnosed type 1 diabetic and now know high sugar levels were the main cause of my problems- however I have had a continuing uti since my hospitalization and I can't use cranberry supplements due to being on warfarin. I can't wait till I can start them again as two courses of two different antibiotics may not have gotten rid of this yet if it is indeed a uti. I have never heard of using potassium citrate. I'm going to looking into this to see if this would be ok for me to take. thanks for posting this info everyone!

THIS HAS HELPED ME-NOT PERFECT BUT WHAT IS? D-MANNOSE



The gylconutrient d-mannose is a naturally occurring sugar found in several plant species including cranberry and aloe vera. D-mannose can be taken in powder form or in capsules. Unlike toxic antibiotics, D-mannose is safe and has no side effects. Even diabetics can take D-mannose as it does not elevate blood sugar levels; it's not that kind of sugar. D-mannose is not metabolized, rather, once ingested, it's excreted into the kidneys, and then concentrates in the bladder.

D-mannose has a unique relationship with the E-coli bacteria (which is more than 9 times out of 10, the cause of all bladder infections). Instead of attaching itself to the bladder wall, which causes infection, E-coli bacteria will attach to the D-mannose. D-mannose also facilitates the detachment of E-coli bacteria that have already adhered themselves to the bladder wall. In effect D-mannose can both treat and prevent bladder infections, though my success with the d-mannose has been to use it as a preventative rather than a cure.

Unlike antibiotics, the E-coli bacteria will not become resistant to D-mannose. Where antibiotics "kill" the E-coli bacteria, D-mannose attracts the bacteria and prevents it from remaining inside the bladder where it can cause infection. Your body then naturally flushes the E-coli from your bladder upon urination.

Thanks Blossom,

I'm not sure if I can take d- mannose while I'm on warfarin. I'm taking that for a dvt, but I will ask my inr nurse about it. Apparently cranberries can make bleeding more likely when taken with warfarin. It's good to know d-mannose won't affect my blood sugars. When I have taken aloe vera juice in the past it has given me severe stomach cramps and diarrhea so I avoid that.