A new study has found that ingesting cranberry products may offer little benefit in preventing urinary tract infections (UTIs). The study looked at women living in a nursing home and the effects of cranberry capsules.
There was no significant difference between UTI rates among women taking the cranberry supplement and women who were not supplementing. On the other hand, researchers suggest that the study does not examine the benefits of cranberry juice in treating or preventing UTIs for younger women, so it may not be fair to rule out all cranberry products for all age groups.
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Lead researcher Dr. Manisha Juthani-Mehta said, “Cranberry products have long been thought to prevent urinary tract infections, and many different cranberry products, including capsules, tablets, and powders, are promoted for this purpose, but this study did not show that this product worked.”
The study reveals that it may not be imperative that senior women living on a fixed income invest in cranberry supplements as a means of preventing UTIs. “Many people firmly believe in their cranberry product, and to those people, I tell them to continue what they feel works for them. There certainly seems to be little downside to drinking cranberry juice if you like it,” Dr. Juthani-Mehta continued.
Urinary tract infections are a common occurrence among elderly women, especially those living in nursing homes.
Rather than taking cranberry products, there are other means of preventing UTIs, such as keeping yourself clean, not holding in your urine, and wiping front to back.
Emily Lunardo studied medical sociology at York University with a strong focus on the social determinants of health and mental illness. She is a registered Zumba instructor, as well as a Canfit Pro trainer, who teaches fitness classes on a weekly basis. Emily practices healthy habits in her own life as well as helps others with their own personal health goals. Emily joined Bel Marra Health as a health writer in 2013.
