Many of us know cranberries as a tasty condiment to have with our Christmas turkey, or the juice that accompanies vodka in a cosmopolitan cocktail. You might have also heard cranberries prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs).
While this is often dismissed as a myth, a new review of the evidence shows consuming cranberry juice or supplements reduces the chance of repeat UTIs for women, children, and those who are more susceptible to them due to medical procedures.
But this wasn’t the case for elderly people, pregnant women, or for people with bladder-emptying problems.
The review didn’t look at the use of cranberry for the treatment of UTIs—and cranberry juice cannot cure a UTI on its own (pdf). So if you do get a UTI, make sure you seek medical care from your health care provider….