Old Wives Wisdom Works for Cystitis

Q. Do you have any information about remedies for urinary tract infections (UTI) besides antibiotics? There are lots of herbal concoctions on the web with lengthy testimonials by people who feel their recurrent UTIs have been cured. Do you know of any studies using herbs? What about cranberry juice?
A. A few studies on herbs to treat UTIs have been conducted in places as far-flung as China and Nigeria. Although some of this research is interesting, the traditional herbs that were tested are not likely to be available in this country.
Cranberry juice, on the other hand, is easily accessible. Drinking cranberry juice to prevent urinary tract infections was once considered an old wives’ tale. But recent research supports this folk wisdom. Both a liquid concentrate (Urology, online April 15, 2010) and a standardized powder (BMC Infectious Diseases, April 14, 2010) have shown effectiveness in preliminary research.
One reader shared her experience: “I find the corn syrup in cranberry juice aggravates the urinary infection. Instead, I use cranberry capsules when I travel and if I am under stress. They work very well, don’t need refrigeration and can be found in many drugstores. I have used them successfully for about eight years to stop incipient infections.”