Natural protection Cranberry juice can greatly reduce antibiotic use

Ingredients in cranberries protect against infections, so we need fewer antibiotics
Experts around the world are looking for ways to reduce the use of antibiotics. Researchers now find that women drink much less urinary tract infection (UTI) by regularly drinking cranberry juice. This infection is a common reason for the use of antibiotics.

The scientists from Boston University found out from their study that far fewer antibiotics would be needed if women were to drink more cranberry juice. Cranberries contain substances that can prevent bacterial infections. This avoids, for example, that women suffer from a urinary tract infection. This in turn is often the reason for using antibiotics. The experts published the results of their study in the journal "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition".

Not only does cranberry juice taste delicious and it's healthy, it could also help reduce the overuse of antibiotics. (Image: marilyn barbone / fotolia.com)

Women with frequent urinary tract infections should drink more cranberry juice
Physicians around the world warn of the dangers of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains. These have continued to increase in recent years, say the experts. This is partly due to the overuse of antibiotics. Researchers now found that fewer antibiotics would need to be used if women were to drink more juice from cranberries. Even the consumption of 240 ml per day reduced the symptoms of patients who were prone to urinary tract infections by about forty percent, explain the doctors.

The chronic overuse of antibiotics must be counteracted
At present, the primary goal is to better treat and prevent urinary tract infections, thus reducing the use of antibiotics, say the authors. One of the side effects of frequent antibiotic prescriptions is the development of bacterial strains that are resistant to all known types of antibiotics, said Professor Kalpana Gupta of Boston University. The chronic overuse of these drugs is increasing the resistance globally at an alarming rate, the researcher adds. Some experts have already considered this problem a greater danger to humanity in the past than the threat of cancer. For this reason, serious action must be taken to prevent this problem, say the experts.

Six out of ten women suffer from urinary tract infections
Urinary tract infections are among the most common bacterial infections. Every year, there are over 150 million urinary tract infections worldwide. Six out of ten women suffer from this painful infection in their lives, explain the physicians. Up to a quarter of all affected women then experience a relapse within the next six months. The symptoms include a strong, persistent urination and a burning sensation while urinating, explain the scientists.

Study examines nearly 400 women with previous urinary tract infections
The study looked at 373 women in the United States and France. The researchers sought to determine whether repeated infections could be avoided by drinking cranberry juice. All subjects were healthy women with an average age of 40 who had experienced at least two urinary tract infections in the last year, say the authors. All participants were either given daily doses of about 240 ml of cranberry juice or given a placebo drink. The rate of urinary tract infections dropped significantly among drinkers of cranberry juice. There were only 39 diagnoses of infections in the cranberry group, compared with 67 cases in the placebo group, the physicians explain.

Drink cranberry juice for prevention
Cranberries contain chemicals, including so-called type A PACs (proanthocyanidins). These have antibacterial properties, for example to prevent infections by E. coli. Most people make the mistake of waiting to drink the cranberry juice until they already have a urinary tract infection, but as soon as the symptoms start they probably already need antibiotics, warns Prof. Gupta. The key to using the protective effect of cranberries is the daily consumption of at least one glass of juice. So it is possible to completely avoid the painful infections, explains Professor Kalpana Gupta. (As)