Does cranberry juice help the urinary tract?

Emily123

I don't know about helping an infection you already have but I have heard that cranberry juice can prevent bacteria from sticking to the urinary tract.
That would prevent an infection. The juice has acid in it that does this.
I know what you mean about the taste. I have seen cranberry tablets in the pharmacy. Worth trying.
You might also try an over the counter med like Uristat. It will help the burning and stinging. But if you keep on with the symptoms you really need to go to the doc and get an antibiotic. I wouldn't use the Uristat more than 3 days .

mlgable

Cranberry juice as well as vitamin C are great for the urinary tract. If you don't like the taste of cranberry juice try adding 7-up to it or just take cranberry capsules.

surrealmeal

My gynocologist highly recommended cranberry juice to me when i got a urinary tract infection.

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jwarneka

Ever since I was 16 I have had chronic Kidney and bladder infections, so I know what you are talking about,

yes Cranberry is good for your Urinary tract, and they do have the capsules, and upping your water intake will help too, I can't do the C juice either, my doc said then I should try OJ then, I think it all ahs to do with the level of citric acid, it helps to clean out the general UTI system, lol
Plus, if you DO get a UTI they sell pills over the counter for relief of the burning and the urgency to go, they are called Uristat or Azo, but you will still need to be treated, they are mainly for untill you can get into the doc,
Good luck

mlgable

Vitmain C tends to acidify the urine so both cranberry juice and Vitamin C tablets are recommended for good urinary health. This is something else that should be pretty routine for people who have urinary tract infections more than once every few years. Make the cranberry juice or capsules or vitamin C tabs part of your daily routine to help prevent UTI's and be sure to drink plenty of water every day to help keep your urine diluted and flush out bacteria.

susgan

well, from expereience more than once, I can tell you that it does help. It has a lot of acids in it and it helps prevent the bacteria from having a hospitable (sp?) enviroment. I went to the health food store and bought mine as the store brands contain alot of sugar, which I was told was not good for urinary tract infections. It was almost impossible to get down. Then my wonderfully sweet dad had a most brilliant idea. Add 1/2 the cup full of O.J. and it tastes wonderful, and the added acid from the O.J. was just an added bonus.

I had MANY urinary tract infections that then led to a kidney infection. That was extrememly painful, 7 day in hospital stay, and when I found out a few things to help that were so easy, I could have kicked myself.

Hope this helps!!

Susan

Amby

I too, have had many, many urinary tract infections, I've been very prone to them since I was a young child and I can tell you cranberry juice works. I notice, with myself, that if I drink a glass a day, (8 to 12 oz) I have no problems. Also, some of my friends swear by the cranberry pills you can get at GNC, etc. I know a women who pops a few when she feels one coming on and the symptons totally disappear. Mixing cranberry juice with other juices such as OJ is very tasty for someone who can't really stand the bitterness of straight cran juice, this is true. I buy 100% cranberry juice, no sugar added which I find to be the best for the UTI's. Also, drinking lots of water keeps you flushed and aids in the prevention of UTI's.

Tyger

Hey there,
Yes, cranberry juice is an excellent natural way of preventing UTI's, although its generally not a cure, so if you suspect you've got one, its time to see a doc and get the antibiotics to clear it up.
The juice is pretty gross, yes http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/dizzy.gif so i take cranberry capsules (with vitamin C added) which is a special cystitis prevention formula that you can buy. Also, to relieve the burning, drink a urinary alkalinizer during the day (you can buy them at local pharmacies and even some grocery stores) http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/cool.gif

Tyger http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/blob_fire.gif

paschn4life

I used to suffer from frequent bladder infections and was constantly on an antibiotic. As I got older, I found that I wasn't having the actual infections anymore, but still suffered from occasional burning and frequent urination. Cranberry juice has helped the symptoms, but is NOT a cure if you have an infection. You still have to have an antibiotic if that the case.

You hit the nail on the head when asking about "prevention".
Drink alot of water. It sounds oversimplistic but it's the most underrecognized, best thing we can do for ourselves.

Empty your bladder before sex, drink a full glass of water, then empty it again immediately afterwards. This has been the single best "prevention" method for me. The burning and frequent urination symptoms of urethritis (sp)(inflammation of the urethra) have virtually disappeared since I've practiced this and I haven't had a bladder infection since.....well, I don't remember when.

Hope this helps.

hollandlop

thanx everyone for the advice!

fairiegoddess

i too get tons and tons of those painful infections. drink lots and lots of water. i noticed that if im hurting and i drink enough water to go pee alot and my urine is clear it tends to help a lil bit with the pain. geez ud have thought women could get a break from all the probs we get lol.

oceandreams

A doctor once told me to ALWAYS urinate right after intercourse (as paschn4life said). That way you wash out any bacteria that may have gotten 'pushed' into the urethra during intercourse, which is the most common way for bacteria to get in there, according to my doctor.

turtleeni2

I had one urinary tract infection (well only one that I can remember), and it was BAD. I almost couldn't walk it was so bad. I started feeling that I was beginning to feel sick like a week and then it was just horrid! I thought I was getting the flu or something, but turns out it was a VERY NASTY UTI.

Well, after going through all that pain and being so scared (almost had to go to er for catherater and fluids and the possiblility of kidney failure!), I vowed to my self: NEVER AGAIN if I could do something about it!

I now take cranberry pills every single day and also dring cranberry or orange juice every day just so I can do my part in preventing this from EVER happening again!

There are some UTI's, though, that affect the urinary tract differently and can really not be prevented in this matter. But, fortunately, this is very uncommon.

coppertone

I used to get UTI's all the time and was told to take cranberry supplements. I was taking them and was UTI free for a long time. Now I found an herbal cranberry supplement from Pure Inventions. It's cranberry without the sugar - you just put drops in your water bottle. It is great - now I drink more water and I am getting the cranberry benefits without having to take the cranberry pills. This is much better for me! Their website is [removed] . I have even started putting it in my kids water bottles - this way they are not on a constant sugar buzz!