According to a recent study conducted by researchers from Bond University, University of Helsinki, and Helsinki University Hospital, increasing fluid intake can help reduce the occurrence of urinary tract infections (UTIs) compared to no treatment. However, consuming cranberry juice has shown even better clinical outcomes in terms of decreased UTIs and antibiotic usage, suggesting that it should be considered as a management option for UTIs.
Cranberry juice drinkers are 54% less likely to develop a urinary tract infection. Image courtesy of The Loves of Eirlys.
“Urinary tract infections are one of the most common bacterial infections,” stated lead author Christian Moro, PhD, along with his colleagues.
“Over 50% of women and more than 20% of men will experience UTIs at least once in their lifetime, making it the most prevalent bacterial infection in children.”
“While antibiotics have traditionally been effective for UTI treatment, the growing resistance of bacteria to these drugs poses a challenge.”
“Studies have shown that over 90% of UTIs contain drug-resistant bacteria, many of which are resistant to multiple antibiotics.”
“Given the rise in microbial resistance to antibiotics, it is essential to explore evidence-based non-drug interventions for UTI prevention and treatment.”
“Reducing antibiotic usage will not only alleviate the financial and clinical burden of prescriptions but also address the increasing issue of antibiotic resistance.”
“Encouraging patients to increase fluid intake and incorporating cranberry juice or tablets have been proposed as beneficial strategies.”
“However, the existing literature on this topic is extensive, with conflicting findings regarding the effectiveness of cranberries.”
The authors utilized a novel research approach known as network meta-analysis, enabling simultaneous comparisons of multiple interventions across various studies.
A total of 20 trials involving 3,091 individuals were analyzed, with 18 of these studies revealing that cranberry juice consumption was linked to a 54% lower UTI incidence compared to no treatment and a 27% lower incidence than placebo liquids.
“These results have the potential to reduce the reliance on antibiotics for UTI treatment,” commented Dr. Moro.
“More than half of women will experience a UTI, often resulting in antibiotic prescriptions.”
“Given the escalating antibiotic resistance, identifying effective non-pharmaceutical interventions is critical.”
“Cranberry juice presents a straightforward and effective intervention that should be considered in managing UTIs.”
Furthermore, the study found that cranberry juice led to a 59% reduction in antibiotic requirements and significantly alleviated symptoms in individuals with active UTIs.
“Simple measures like increasing water intake or taking cranberry tablets also showed benefits, albeit not as pronounced as consuming cranberries in liquid form such as juice,” the researchers noted.
Read their paper published in the journal European Urology Focus.
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Christian Moro others Cranberry juice, cranberry tablets, or liquid therapy for urinary tract infections: a systematic review and network meta-analysis. Yurol Focus Published online on July 18, 2024; doi: 10.1016/j.euf.2024.07.002
This article is based on a press release provided by Bond University.
Source: www.sci.news
