UTI Treatments: Separating Fact from Fiction

From cranberry to goldenseal, we spell out what really works.

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Painful, burning urination, exhaustion and discomfort? Join the club. Urinary tract infections are responsible for nearly 8.3 million doctor visits every year, making them the second most common type of infection in the body.

They occur when bacteria and other tiny organisms, often from the digestive tract, grab hold of the walls of the urethra and multiply. If you wait long enough to treat the infection, the bacteria can travel up the urinary tract to the bladder and kidneys. Although more common in women, UTIs can also happen in men.

Unfortunately, busy schedules can keep people from obtaining antibiotics for a few days, allowing the infection to worsen. In addition, the CDC estimated in early 2010 that nearly 60 million Americans lack health insurance, meaning that even though UTIs can be fought with widely available antibiotics, the infections can be expensive to cure because of uncovered doctor visits and prescription costs. Home remedies abound when it comes to preventing and treating UTIs, but it is often hard to separate the scientific fact from fiction. Here’s a guide to the everyday, affordable materials that have been scientifically proven to prevent and shorten these painful infections.

MORE: Vaginal Pain, Explained

Cranberry

Courtesy of ElluraEllura, a cranberry-based supplement for people with recurrent UTIs

Cranberries have been recommended for the prevention and treatment of UTIs for more than a century, but until the past few decades, the claim had no scientific basis. In 1994, a clinical study published in JAMA showed that cranberry juice may in fact help prevent UTIs. Later studies showed the effect is due to compounds found in cranberries—including proanthocyanidins—which prevent E. coli from grabbing onto the walls of the urethra, thereby inhibiting the build up of bacteria that cause UTIs.

Since then, numerous studies have supported cranberry’s ability to thwart infections and cranberry-based supplements, such as Ellura, have been developed for people with recurrent UTIs.

Research has also hinted that 100 percent cranberry juice can shorten the length of, and possibly treat, non-aggressive infections. “Overall, cranberry is a superstar in terms of how it affects the bladder system,” says YouBeauty Integrative Health Expert Jim Nicolai, M.D., the medical director of the Andrew Weil, M.D. Integrative Wellness Program at Miraval.

Earlier this year, however, scientists at the University of Michigan published findings that cranberry juice fails to prevent recurrent UTIs—throwing the medical and scientific communities back into a debate about the berry’s benefits.