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Women Should Consume More Cranberry Products: Here's Why

If you often experience urinary tract infections (UTIs), drinking cranberry juice daily or taking its supplements can be beneficial.

Drink Cranberry Juice Daily

Cranberries are called a superfood as they are very nutritious and can benefit your health in many ways. For women, it is more important to add cranberries or cranberry products to your diet. A new study published in Cochrane Reviews has concluded that consuming cranberry products can help prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs) in some women. So, it is no longer a myth that drinking cranberry juice can ward off UTIs. To determine the effectiveness of cranberry products in preventing infection, the scientists reviewed 50 recent trials that included almost 9000 participants. The results showed that drinking cranberry juice or taking its capsules reduced the risk of repeat symptomatic UTIs significantly. The number of recurrent UTIs was reduced by more than a quarter in women, more than half in children, and about 53 per cent in people susceptible to UTI following medical interventions.

UTIs In Women

UTIs are very common in women, affecting one third of women, according to study lead author Dr. Gabrielle Williams. The elderly and those with bladder issues from spinal cord injury or other conditions are also likely to experience UTIs. Also Read - Health Benefits Of Cranberries: How Cranberry Juice Helps Prevent H. Pylori Infections

Complications Of Untreated UTIs

Flinders University epidemiologist Dr. Jacqueline Stephens, who is a co-author of the study, stated that if the UTI is left untreated, the infection can move to the kidneys and cause serious complications, such as sepsis in some cases. While most UTIs can be effectively treated with antibiotics, the infection keeps coming back in some people.

How Cranberries Help In Preventing UTIs

Proanthocyanidins present in cranberries are thought to have antibacterial properties and thus prevent the bacteria Escherichia coli from binding in the bladder and causing urinary tract infection. If you’re buying cranberry juice choose an unsweetened 100 per cent juice. Also Read - Stage Zero Breast Cancer: All You Need To Know About It

Other Health Benefits Of Cranberries

Several studies have indicated that regular consumption of cranberry juice benefits your heart health and reduces the risk factors for heart disease. Consuming cranberry products is also proven to help suppress the growth of Helicobacter pylori bacteria that can cause gastric ulcers and stomach cancer. What’s more, cranberries are believed to have anti-cancer effects and found to be helpful in certain cancers.