For years, cranberry products have been touted as a folk remedy to prevent urinary tract infections (UTI), but now a new study seems to arrive at the same conclusion, but this time uses science to support it.
Published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, a group of Taiwanese researchers performed a meta-analysis of over 1,600 individuals; they found a 47 percent reduction in UTIs among women who consumed cranberry-containing products, compared to those who did not. The effect seemed to be particularly strong among women who experienced recurrent UTIs. However, despite the optimistic findings, lead author Dr. Chih-Hung Wang of the National Taiwan University Hospital warns consumers to interpret the results with caution, as the patients in the trial represented a diverse group.
And as ACSH s Dr. Elizabeth Whelan further points out, Women who want to consider this option should also be aware that cranberry juice is generally high in calories. Though there are low-calorie juice varieties available, it s uncertain whether the results of this study can necessarily be applied to those products.