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Urinary Tract Infections and the Power of Cranberry

We have all been down this road before, and the symptoms are hard to mistake: a burning sensation when you urinate, frequent urination in small amounts, and lower abdominal and back pain. You have a urinary tract infection, and the discomfort is agonizing. By some estimates, as many as 50 million cases of urinary tract infections are treated annually. Health-care providers have relied primarily upon antibiotics to treat urinary tract infections. However, increasing concern about bacterial resistance to antibiotics and rising interest in alternative medicine has prompted doctors and researchers to seek new treatments.

Recent studies suggest that cranberry long reputed to have antibacterial properties, may have the potential to prevent or heal these painful infections. German researchers in the 1840s were examining the connection between European cranberry species and urinary tract infections. They found that the urine of people who ate cranberries contained a chemical called hippuric acid. Today, researchers are again addressing the relationship between cranberries and a healthy urinary tract. This time they are focusing on cranberry's potential to keep bacteria from attaching to urinary tract walls.

Tamms-Horsfall glycoprotein, a natural substance present in the urine of some individuals, has the ability to attach itself to the bacteria and inhibit them from attaching to the bladder wall. Individuals with enough Tamms-Horsfall glycoprotein are unlikely to get a urinary tract infection. However, those who lack or have low levels of this natural substance are more susceptible. In 1994, researchers at Weber State University in Utah discovered that cranberry contains a substance similar in activity to the Tamms-Horsfall glycoprotein. Much like natural glycoprotein, the substance can inhibit the attachment of bacteria to the bladder wall. In tests where cranberry was added to a petri dish along with bacteria and bladder cells, the addition of the cranberry substance kept the bacteria from attaching to bladder cells.

Our bodies do have natural barriers against urinary tract infections. In men,the urethra is up to 10 inches long with natural bends, both of which make it difficult for bacteria to reach the bladder. In females, the perineum helps prevent bacteria from entering the urethra. Females are at a disadvantage, however, because the perineum can be damaged or irritated by tight clothing, intercourse, poor hygiene, or bubble baths, and thus allow bacteria to make their way to the bladder. In addition, the female urethra is only 2 inches long and straight, making it easy for bacteria to reach the bladder. Females also are more likely than males to get a second urinary tract infection, and within as little as two weeks of the first flare-up.

Cranberry also may be effective for patients who have difficult emptying their bladder, such as men with enlarged prostates or patients with neurologic abnormalities including stroke or spina bifida. When urine remains in the bladder, bacteria have a greater chance of attaching to the bladder lining.

If you enjoy the flavor of cranberry juice, one way to obtain its benefits is to drink two to three glasses a day. Most cranberry juice or cocktails contain between 10 and 20 percent cranberry. Although the benefits of drinking cranberry juice outweigh the negative effects of the sugar it contains, for people who are concerned about sugar, such as diabetics, sugar-free juice is available. If you don't find the cranberry flavor appealing or you require a higher cranberry concentration, many health-food stores carry concentrated cranberry capsules.