Latest Trustworthy News from Dr. Mercola - delivered straight to your inbox!
Get 20% Off on Mothers Day Sale Get 20% Off on Mothers Day Sale

You Need to Stop Trying to Treat Your UTI With Cranberry Juice

  • October 28, 2016

For decades, cranberry juice has been the go-to remedy for treating urinary tract infections (UTIs), with many doctors recommending it as a way to prevent the painful infections. Unfortunately, as reported by ScienceAlert, new research shows that cranberries and their juice have no more effect on UTIs than placebos.

Women suffer from UTIs far more often than men, and up to 60 percent of women will develop a UTI during her lifetime. For about 20 percent, the infection becomes recurrent and some will suffer from three or more UTIs a year, with possibilities of these infections developing into serious kidney infections. This is concerning, as the treatment most often recommended by conventional medicine is antibiotics, sometimes on a long-term, “prophylactic” basis. Also, antibiotics kill even the friendly micro-organisms in your body, leading to major disruptions in health (including an increased risk of yeast infections, among other issues, in women).

While researchers have offered up possible other natural treatments such as supplementation with D-Mannose, it is possible to prevent UTIs and kidney infections through other health measures such as cutting your intake of processed fructose, analgesic drugs and alcohol, all of which have been linked to kidney damage.

Restricting your protein intake is also important for optimal kidney function. An ideal protein intake is likely around one-half gram of protein per pound of lean body mass, which for most is 40 to 70 grams a day. The American Kidney Fund recommends restricting protein to a maximum of 50 grams if you have kidney disease.