Cranberry Juice Reduces UTIs More Effectively Than Cranberry Tablets and Liquids, Shows research

Australia: European Urology Focus published a review indicating that evidence with moderate to low certainty supports the use of cranberry juice for preventing urinary tract infections (UTIs). 

Increased fluid intake can lower the rate of UTIs compared to no treatment, but cranberry juice offers even more effective clinical outcomes by further reducing UTI rates and antibiotic use, making it a valuable option for UTI management, the researchers wrote. 

With more than 50% of women experiencing at least one episode of urinary tract infection annually and the growing issue of antimicrobial resistance, it is crucial to identify evidence supporting potential non-drug interventions. 

This study by Christian Moro, Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University, Gold Coast et. al. aimed to compare the effectiveness of cranberry juice, cranberry tablets, and increased fluid intake in managing UTIs.

In this study, PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane CENTRAL were searched for randomized controlled trials. The primary outcome was the number of UTIs, while secondary outcomes included UTI symptoms and antimicrobial use. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool, and the certainty of evidence was evaluated using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) system.

The key points of research were as follows:

• 18 studies showed that cranberry juice consumption resulted in a 54% lower rate of Urinary tract infections compared to no treatment.
• Cranberry juice consumption led to a 27% lower rate of Urinary tract infections compared to placebo liquid.
• Cranberry juice use resulted in a 49% lower rate of antibiotic use compared to placebo liquid.
• Cranberry juice led to a 59% lower rate of antibiotic use compared to no treatment, based on a network meta-analysis of six studies.
• The use of cranberry compounds also reduced the prevalence of symptoms associated with Urinary tract infections.

Researchers concluded that, with moderate to low certainty, evidence supports the use of cranberry juice for Urinary tract infection prevention. While increasing fluid intake lowers Urinary tract infection rates compared to no treatment, cranberry juice offers even better clinical outcomes by reducing Urinary tract infections and antibiotic use, making it a recommended option for managing Urinary tract infections. 

References

Moro C, Phelps C, Veer V, Jones M, Glasziou P, Clark J, Tikkinen KAO, Scott AM. Cranberry Juice, Cranberry Tablets, or Liquid Therapies for Urinary Tract Infection: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis. Eur Urol Focus. 2024 Jul 18:S2405-4569(24)00122-6. doi: 10.1016/j.euf.2024.07.002. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39030132.