Cranberry juice, urinary tract

Cranberry juice has long been recommended for use in treating and preventing urinary tract infections (UTIs). Clinical studies have confirmed that cranberry juice is beneficial to individuals with frequent UTIs Cranberries inhibit bacteria from attaching to the walls of the urinary tract and prevent certain bacteria from forming dental plaque in the mouth. Cranberry juice is safe for use asa food and for urinary tract health. Cranberry juice and capsules have no contraindica-tions no known adverse reactions and no drug interactions The recommended dosage is9 to 15 capsules a day (400-500 mg/d) or 4 to 8 ounces of juice per day. (See Chap. 6 for more information.)... 

A. Drink one to two glasses of cranberry juice daily to promote healing of die urinary tract. 

Kontiokari, T., Sundqvist, K., Nuutinen, M., Pokka, T., Koskela, M., and Uhari, M. (2001). Randomized trial of cranberry-lingonberry juice and Lactobacillus GG drink for the prevention of urinary tract infections in women. Br. J. Nutr. 322,1571-1573. 

Cranberry has been used to prevent and treat urinary tract infections since the 19th century. Today, cranberry juice is widely used for the prevention, treatment, and symptomatic relief of urinary tract infections. Cranberry juice is also given to patients to help reduce urinary odors in incontinence. Another potential benefit of cranberry is a decrease in the rate of formation of kidney stones. 

Cranberry enhances the excretion of hippuric acid, a bacteria-fighting chemical. Recent studies support the speculation that eating cranberries or drinking their juice can prevent or fight urinary tract infections. Hippuric acid prevents Escherichia coli (E. coli) from adhering to the urinary tract. Cranberries also contain arbutin, which fights yeast infections. The berries are also used as a urinary deodorant. ... 

Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpori). Excessive intake of cranberry juice, used to treat urinary tract infections, may reduce the blood levels of certain drugs, including some antidepressants, antipsychotics, and morphine-based painkillers. 

Cranberries have been used traditionally for the treatment and prevention of urinary tract infections. Their effectiveness was demonstrated by a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial (Avom et ah, 1994). Escherichia coli are the principal bacterial species responsible for urinary tract infection. The consumption of cranberry juice reduced the adherence of E. coli to the uroepithelial bladder cells in healthy human volunteers (Di Martino et ah, 2006). A-type procyanidin dimers and trimers that were isolated from cranberries were found to inhibit the adherence of uropathogenic E. Coli, whereas (—)-epicatechin and a B-type dimer were not effective (Foo et ah, 2000). 

Raz R, Chazan B, Dan M. Cranberry juice and urinary tract infection. Clin Infect Dis 2004 38(10) 1413-19. 

It appears that cranberry juice may be effective in preventing the recurrence of urinary tract infections, but not in treating urinary tract infections. It is generally well tolerated and relatively free of adverse effects. There have been case reports of coadministration of cranberry juice and warfarin resulting in bleeding events, but this potential interaction remains to be conclusively established. 

Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) is a small evergreen shrub that grows in mountains, forests and damp bogs from Alaska to Tennessee. Native Americans introduced the Europeans to cranberry as a food, dye, and medicine (1). In the 1920s, canned cranberry sauce was introduced, and in the 1940s, cranberry juice became commercially available. Cranberry has been used to prevent and treat urinary tract infections since the 19th century (2). 

Prevention of urinary tract infection 8 oz of cranberry juice four times a day for several days, then twice daily (7) 300 mL/day as cranberry juice cocktail (11). 

Treatment of urinary tract infection 6 oz cranberry juice of daily for 21 days (12) cranberry juice 6 oz twice daily (13). 

Epidemiological data (22) and data from a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (11) support the use of cranberry juice to prevent urinary tract infections, although in the latter study differences in baseline characteristics between study groups may have influenced the results. Cranberry extract in capsule form was more effective than placebo in preventing recurrent urinary tract infections in a small study (23). 

Sobota AE. Inhibition of bacterial adherenceby cranberry juice potential use for the treatment of urinary tract infections. J Urol 1984 131 1013-1016. 

Papas PN, Brusch CA, Ceresia GC. Cranberry juice in the treatment of urinary tract infections. Southwest Med J 1966 47 17-20. 

CRANBERRY Two species of Vaccinium are known by this name. The North American species is V. macrocarpum Aiton, while that from Europe is V. oxycoccosL. For many years the drinking of cranberry juice was recommended as a way of reducing bacterial infections in the urinary tract because of the acidic urine produced. More recent research shows that cranberry juice is effective in treating but more importantly preventing urinary tract infections, because it inhibits the adherence of... 

Ammoniacal fermentation, or alkalinization and decomposition of urine, is responsible for the foul odor of urine (Kraemer, 1964). The results of one study (Kraemer, 1964) found that a single dose of 16 oz of cranberry juice lowered the urine pH of six men with chronic urinary tract disorders, and decreased ammoniacal odor and turbidity. The urine pH of five of six men free of urinary tract infections was also lowered with this dose. In another study (DuGan and Cardaciotto, 1966), hospital personnel noted a decrease in urine odor in the geriatric wards of a nursing home, but a change in urine pH or change in ammonia levels in the air could not be detected. Other subiective... 

Lifeline "Berry Good." USA Today, October 8, 1998, page Dl. (Cranberry juice found to prevent E. coli from adhering to urinary tract walls, citing New England Journal of Medicine, October 8, 1998.)... 

Cranberry juice is helpful in preventing urinary tract infections (UTIs), but this client has the symptoms of already having aUTI. 

In a further case, a patient stabilised on warfarin was found to have INRs of 10 to 12 in the days prior to a surgical procedure, although he had no previous record of an INR greater than 4. Vitamin K was given, and heparin was substituted for warfarin. When warfarin was restarted post-operatively, the INR quickly rose to 8 and then to 11 with haematuria, and postoperative bleeding. The patient was drinking almost 2 litres of cranberry juice daily, because of recurrent urinary tract infections, and was advised to stop drinking this. After three days the INR had stabilised at 3. 

In a study of cranberry juice (1 liter daily for 7 days) on urinary tract stone formation risk in normal subjects and in subjects with a history of calcium oxalate stone formation, significant increases in urinary calcium and oxalate levels and a decrease in urinary pH were observed. These results suggest that cranberry juice may increase the risk of calcium oxalate and uric acid stone formation but reduce the risk of brushite stone formation (Gettman et al. 2005). 

Kahn, H., V. PanarieUo, J. SaeU, J. Sampson, and E. Schwartz. 1967. Implications for therapy of urinary tract infection and calculi Effect of cranberry juice on urine. J. Am. Diet. Assck. 51 251-254. 

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