Go Ad-Free
logoThe People's Perspective on Medicine

Does Cranberry Juice Prevent Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)?

Q. My wife has had several urinary tract infections lately. Will cranberry juice be effective for prevention?

A. Cranberry juice has a reputation for reducing the number of urinary tract infections women suffer. Doctors and nutrition scientists have been arguing ever since the 1960s about how effective this strategy may be.

In the most recent analysis, Dutch researchers compared cranberry tablets to the antibiotic trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim, Septra) for one year (PLOS One, online Apr. 4, 2014). Although the antibiotic was slightly more effective at preventing urinary tract infections, it also led to bacterial resistance. Cranberries didn’t cause resistance.

The researchers could not find a statistically significant difference between outcomes of the two treatments. If your wife tries cranberries, she will need to be monitored to make sure the infection has not returned.

We would like to hear from others about their experience with cranberry juice or cranberry extract. Has it worked for you or was it an expensive waste of time? We do worry about the high sugar content of some commercial cranberry juice products. Let us know how you have avoided that problem?

Rate this article
star-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-empty
4.7- 7 ratings
About the Author
Joe Graedon is a pharmacologist who has dedicated his career to making drug information understandable to consumers. His best-selling book, The People’s Pharmacy, was published in 1976 and led to a syndicated newspaper column, syndicated public radio show and web site. In 2006, Long Island University awarded him an honorary doctorate as “one of the country's leading drug experts for the consumer.”.
Tired of the ads on our website?

Now you can browse our website completely ad-free for just $5 / month. Stay up to date on breaking health news and support our work without the distraction of advertisements.

Browse our website ad-free
Join over 150,000 Subscribers at The People's Pharmacy

We're empowering you to make wise decisions about your own health, by providing you with essential health information about both medical and alternative treatment options.