Cranberry Juice Extracts for Prophylaxis of Recurrent Urinary Tract Infection in Women: A Mini Review

Abstract

 The most typical bacterial infection found in women is Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs). About half of women experience UTI at least once in their lifetime, and their risk increases with age. Recurrent UTI endures a challenge to heal, as the primary treatment choice is long-term antibiotic prophylaxis, which leads to a greater risk of growing bacterial resistance. Drinking cranberry juice for the prevention of UTIs has been a traditional folk remedy for hundreds of years. Cranberry plant, Vaccinium macrocarpon, belongs to the family Ericaceae are a gathering of dwarf creeping shrubs or trailing vines up to 7 ft long. The fruit is an edible berry that is initially light green, turning bright red when ripe. The mixed content of polyphenols (proanthocyanidins, flavonols, and quercetin) accounts for the cranberry juice tartness, so a cranberry cocktail or rather a cranberry juice blend is preferred in UTI. Cranberry contains various anti-adherent traits that hinder fimbriated E.coli (Escherichia coli) from adhering to the uroepithelial cells of the urinary tract. This review stresses the clinical benefits of cranberries as a precautionary means to manage UTI and also emphasize the need for further research to clinically authenticate its real-world potency to enhance rationality.