London: Consuming cranberry products may be a low risk, cheap and effective way to prevent recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs), a study claims.
The study, published in The Journal of Urology, suggests that doctors may recommend cranberry products as first line of defence against the disease.
Researchers conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis and assessment of human clinical trials and 28 studies on nearly 5,000 patients.
They found that overall, the use of cranberry products led to a statistically significant risk reduction in repeat UTIs.
The medicinal properties of cranberries may be attributed to their unique polyphenol, proanthocyanidins (PACs), researchers said.
Their ability to keep infection-causing bacteria from sticking to the urinary tract walls may be the major reason for their effectiveness in limiting infection growth and recurrence, they added.
“Our investigation supports that cranberry products can be a powerful tool to fight off frequent UTIs,” said Angelo Luis, from the Universidade da Beira Interior in Portugal.
“While recommendations for dosage and duration of treatment require further study, the efficacy of the medicinal properties of cranberry products has been well- established,” Luis added.
