2023-06-01 14:37:28
A bladder infection is annoying. You often have the idea that you need to empty your bladder, while very little comes out. On top of that, it often hurts to urinate. And that lower back also stings like crazy.
You are more likely to recognize these symptoms if you are a woman. Women can thank their anatomy for that. Because their anus and urethra are much closer together, the chance of malicious bacteria finding their way to the urethra is much higher. A urinary tract infection is then quickly lurking.
Cranberry juice if you have a bladder infection
The doctor will probably prescribe you a course of antibiotics if you have a bladder infection. But some women swear by a red stuff in a bottle: cranberry juice. But does that really work for a bladder infection? And how much cranberry juice should you drink? More than enough research has been done on this.
For example, there is a study of the University of Michigan (USA) from 2011, in which researchers collected 319 women who were suffering from a bladder infection at the time. They were only allowed to participate in the study if they had not had a course of antibiotics, so as not to confuse the study results. The women were divided into two groups. One half was instructed to drink two glasses of cranberry juice a day, the other half received a placebo juice.
Follow-up followed after six months. Or earlier, if they had contracted a new bladder infection before then. Conclusion? It did not matter which juice they drank: the chance of contracting a new bladder infection within six months was the same in both groups. However, the researchers did see something striking. Normally, about thirty percent of women get a new bladder infection after six months. That percentage in these groups was 16.9 percent.
How is that possible? That is not entirely clear, but a possible explanation is the increased fluid intake. The more you drink, the more you pee. Proper hydration reduces bacterial growth and can reduce the symptoms of a bladder infection. The ascorbic acid in the cranberry juice and in the placebo juice may also have played a role. But you can’t say that cranberry juice is better at fighting a bladder infection than any other random juice.
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Does cranberry juice work for a urinary tract infection?
The Michigan study is not an isolated one. Similar research has also been done on the University of Washington (VS). Even then, researchers could find no difference between the placebo juice and cranberry juice in treating a bladder infection.
That cranberry juice works for a bladder infection has not been scientifically proven. If you have a burning pee, you can drink as much cranberry juice as you want, but the chances of making your bladder infection go away are slim to none. By the way, drinking as much cranberry juice as you want is also not recommended. It contains a lot of sugar, about five lumps in a 200 milliliter glass.
Prevent bladder infections with cranberry juice
Is the story of cranberry juice and bladder infections completely out of the blue? No, not that again. Cranberries contain a super good substance: the anti-oxidant proanthocyanidin. That stuff prevents the poop bacteria E. coli can attach to the bladder wall, as shown, among other things this 2018 Canadian study. And let that bacteria often be the culprit in bladder infections.
It seems that an intake of 36 milligrams of proanthocyanidin per day is quite effective in preventing bladder infections, but more research is needed. And how long you have to take these anti-oxidants before they have an effect is also not entirely clear.
So, still plenty of cranberry juice? Well no. As mentioned, it is full of sugar and the cranberry content is nothing to write home about either. There is not nearly enough proanthocyanidin in cranberry juice to fight recurring bladder infections.
If you regularly suffer from painful urination, you should look for cranberry tablets with at least 36 grams of proanthocyanidin. Who knows, you may prevent another bladder infection with that.
Read also: How long does it take you to pee out a glass of water? In when can you call something a superfood?
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