More than just a myth or hearsay, it turns out that cranberries could indeed be beneficial in preventing urinary tract infections (UTIs), as revealed by new research conducted by scientists in Australia.
This is the first time science has been able to attribute such properties to these small red berries native to North America, providing evidence to confirm a decades-old myth.
Despite numerous studies on the subject, science had not previously been able to substantiate claims that cranberries could prevent UTIs, with the last recent review conducted in 2012 and based on 24 trials.
A little over a decade later, this has now been achieved via new research by scientists from Flinders University in Adelaide and The Children’s Hospital at Westmead in New South Wales.
Cranberry juice has for years been considered an effective natural remedy to fight against UTIs, while a number of cranberry supplements have been sold for a long time, lauding their properties and their benefits for the urinary tract.
The Australian study, although still only the first, now supports these claims, and notably the researchers report few side effects, save for abdominal pain.
Published in “Cochrane Reviews”, the research is based on 50 trials, of which more than 20 are considered recent, involving 8,857 participants.
The result is that cranberry juice, as well as cranberry-based supplements, whether taken in capsule or tablet form, could reduce the risk of recurrent UTIs by more than a quarter in women, by more than half in children, and by just as much in individuals susceptible to developing them after a medical procedure.
The findings support the idea that cranberries are more than just a folk remedy. “Even back in 1973, my mum was told to try cranberry juice to prevent her horrible and frequent UTIs, and for her it’s been a saviour,” says study lead author Dr Gabrielle Williams.
“Despite me niggling in her ear about evidence, she’s continued to take it daily, first as the nasty sour juice and, in recent years, the easy-to-swallow capsules. As soon as she stops, wham, the symptoms are back.
“As usual, it turns out that Mum was right!”
Despite the compelling results, particularly for women with recurring UTIs, the researchers believe further studies are now needed to determine the category or categories of people for whom cranberry products would be most beneficial.