Can cranberry products be used to prevent UTIs?

Williams G, Stothart CI, Hahn D, Stephens JH, Craig JC, Hodson EM. Cranberries for preventing urinary tract infections. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2023, Issue 11. Art. No. CD001321. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD001321.pub7.¹

Background

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a common occurrence in women, with approximately 60% of women experiencing at least one during their lifetime and with at least 30–40% of women experiencing recurrent UTIs.² UTIs are associated with decreased quality of life and increased anxiety and depression.³ Early use of cranberries to treat UTI’s by Native Americans has been documented⁴ and since then cranberries have been commonly used as an alternate therapy for this condition. It is the proanthocyanidins isolated from cranberry fruit that appears to be the active ingredient.⁵ It is thought that proanthocyanidins may act by inhibiting the adhesion of P-fimbriated uropathogenic strains of Escherichia coli to uroepithelial cells.⁵ Without adhesion E. coli cannot infect the mucosal surface of the urinary tract and so the UTI is prevented.¹

Clinical bottom line

Cranberry products do indeed have a protective effect and seem to prevent recurrent UTI’s in some individuals.¹ The evidence supports the use of cranberry products in women with recurrent UTI, children, and people with a susceptibility to a UTI due to an intervention (such as radiation treatment or those undergoing gynaecological surgery).¹ But there is no evidence currently to support the use of cranberry products in elderly men and women in institutions or pregnant women (see Table 1).¹

Conflicts of interest

The author declares no conflicts of interest.

Declaration of funding

This summary article did not receive any specific funding.