Cranberry and Urinary Tract Infections

“Only relatively recently has conventional medicine studied the time-honored wisdom of drinking cranberry juice to treat or prevent a urinary tract infection,” says Dr. Atkins in his book Dr Atkins Vita-nutrient Solution. “Bioflavonoids in the tart-tasting berry interfere with the E. coli bacteria’s attempts to cling to the bladder’s interior lining. Some evidence also suggests that cranberries might prevent or deter kidney stones by discouraging calcium excretion.

“Many of my patients swear by cranberry therapy as an effective treatment for recurrent bladder infections,” says Dr. Atkins. “I normally recommend taking 6,000-9,000 mg of cranberry extract (four to six capsules), not drinking cranberry juice. The juice usually contains too much sugar, which suppresses the immune system and can encourage a stronger infection. If a patient prefers to use the juice, I insist that it be unsweetened.”