One longstanding folk remedy that is still practiced frequently all over the world, is the ingestion of Cranberry juice for management of urinary tract infections (UTI).
An active ingredient in the juice called proanthocyanidin is thought to lower Escherichia coli adherence to the cells of the urinary tract.
In a randomised double-blind trial conducted by Cibele Barbosa-Cesnik and colleagues, 155 healthy women with UTI’s were given cranberry juice (8 oz BD) whilst a placebo liquid1 was given to 164 women (both groups first completed antibiotic treatment).
After 6 months there was no statistical difference in recurrence rates of UTI, although interestingly both groups had a recurrence rate significantly less than the expected rate of 30% ( a placebo effect perhaps?).
The authors concluded:
….among otherwise healthy college women with a history of =1 UTIs, drinking 8 oz of 27% cranberry juice twice per day did not decrease the 6-month incidence of another UTI, compared with drinking a placebo juice .
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Reference: Cranberry Juice Fails to Prevent Recurrent Urinary Tract Infection: Results From a Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial.
Oxford Journal of Clinical Infectious Diseases.
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- this liquid was developed to look, smell and taste exactly the same as cranberry juice except that it contained no proanthocyanidin [↩]
If they are anything like busy nurses, perhaps all the women were drinking a lot more fluid than they normally would!! I have to remind myself to stop and drink.
I thought it had to do with pH–just goes to show what the American educational system is good for