Do UTI Cranberry Supplements Actually Work? Here's What a Urologist Wants You to Know
Urinary tract infections, also known as UTIs, are the opposite of a good time. If you’ve ever experienced all the fun symptoms like burning and pain when you urinate, needing to urinate all the time, pelvic pain, and blood in your urine, you know the desperation of wanting to get better as soon as possible. You might feel willing to take any medicine, supplements, or questionable home remedies to get rid of the infection, even including those cranberry pills you see all over your pharmacy shelves and targeted Instagram ads.
But when it comes to those over-the-counter supplements, it’s worth flipping that pill packet over and taking a look at the ingredients, because not every UTI supplement is created equally. In fact, some might not work at all — at least, not in the way you think.
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What causes a UTI?
To understand why, it’s worth doing a quick review on what UTIs actually are and what causes them. As a reminder, UTIs are infections of the urinary tract, which typically means a bladder infection. (Kidney infections are also classified as UTIs, but are less common and typically more serious than bladder infections, per the CDC.) UTIs occur when bacteria gets in the bladder and causes an infection and inflammation, Elodi Dielubanza, MD, a female urology specialist at Keck School of Medicine of USC, tells SheKnows.
UTI-causing bacteria can be any kind of bacteria that gets into the urethra and up into the bladder. Typically, it’s bacteria that actually originates from our own intestinal tract, Dr. Dielubanza says. “Our intestinal tract is colonized with bacteria that can cause urinary tract infection, and that’s normal,” she explains. “There’s nothing wrong with our intestinal tract. That bacteria normally lives there.”
Any activities that push this bacteria closer to the opening of the bladder, such as sex, can increase your risk of getting a UTI. If you’re not properly hydrated (Dr. Dielubanza recommends 48 to 64 ounces a day), you also may be at higher risk of getting a UTI, as urinating flushes out the bacteria and serves as the body’s “natural defense” against infections; the less you urinate, aka the less you hydrate, the longer the bacteria can stick around and potentially cause an infection.
Treating a UTI with antibiotics — and supplements?
If you head to the doctor’s office to get a UTI treated, you’ll typically get a prescription for an antibiotic. This is done for both symptom relief and to resolve the infection more quickly. For some UTIs, it’s possible for the body to clear the infection without any extra medication, Dr. Dielubanza notes, simply by hydrating and letting your immune system do its job. “It’s possible, it just can be decently uncomfortable,” she explains. “Antibiotics are helpful in eradicating the bacteria quickly and providing good symptom control.”
When it comes to supplements and over-the-counter remedies, “there’s not a lot of data” on whether they’re effective at actually eradicating the UTI-causing bacteria, Dr. Dielubanza says. That said, there is some research to show that certain supplements, like cranberry extract and medicines containing the active ingredient D-mannose, can be helpful in preventing UTIs. “The idea is that each interferes with how bacteria can attach to the surface of your urinary tract,” Dr. Dielubanza says. If the bacteria can’t attach as easily, it’s more likely to be flushed out when you pee, helping you avoid an infection and all of those unpleasant symptoms.
What UTI supplements are best?
Important point to clarify: not all UTI supplements are created equal. For cranberry in particular, the classic cranberry juice cocktail available on grocery store shelves likely won’t do the trick. That’s because the active compound in cranberry that helps prevent UTIs, proanthocyanidins (PACs), needs to be available in a high enough concentration to stop bacteria from sticking to your urinary tract, Dr. Dielubanza says. “The data have argued for more concentrated formulations, whether that be concentrated tablets or very concentrated juices,” she explains.
Studies have found that a dose of minimum 36 milligrams of PACs per day is sufficient to promote anti-adhesion of bacteria in the urinary tract. However, a 2016 study analyzing seven over-the-counter cranberry supplements found that four of them contained less than five milligrams of PACs per gram of the product — and had no effect on stopping bacteria from attaching to urinary tract walls.
So if you’re looking for cranberry supplements to help with preventing UTIs, go for higher concentrations of PACs when possible and make sure to grab supplements (which could come in juice, tablet, or gummy form) versus the tasty (but likely non-effective) juice cocktail.
Proper hydration and peeing frequently can also help with UTI prevention and relieving symptoms if you already have an infection, Dr. Dielubanza says. And while she notes that there isn’t much data to support the often-given advice that peeing after sex can help you avoid a UTI, “it’s one of those anecdotal things that’s safe and reasonable [to do],” she says. “Our bodies flush away bacteria [through urine], so if we know that having sex can put bacteria close to the urethra, it logically follows that peeing afterward should make sense.”
One thing Dr. Dielubanza doesn’t recommend: over-cleaning your vulva and vagina after sex. “A lot of our immunity is a delicate balance between bacteria,” she explains. We have protective bacteria in our genital tracts that help to combat the “bad” bacteria that can cause infections like UTIs. “Excessive cleaning, using antibacterial soaps on the genital area, that’s a no-no,” Dr. Dielubanza says. “That does not help and it can actually hurt your cause because it can disturb that [protective] bacteria.”
One way to promote and protect that “good” bacteria is to take probiotics, Dr. Dielubanza says. A 2017 study found that probiotics in the Lactobacillus group — found in products like yogurt, sauerkraut, and kefir — can be helpful for UTI prevention. (Note that if you have an immunodeficiency, Dr. Dielubanza recommends checking with your doctor before taking probiotics.)
When to see a doctor for a UTI
As helpful as supplements, probiotics, and hydration can be for preventing and, in some cases, relieving symptoms of UTIs, there’s no shame in heading for urgent care or your gynecologist’s office at the first sign of an infection. If you’re holding out to see if yours will resolve on its own, there are a few red flags you should look out for. If you notice flu-like symptoms, like fever or body aches; any worsening symptoms; blood in the urine; or vaginal itching, burning, or unusual discharge or smell, it’s time to see a doctor, Dr. Dielubanza says.
As unpleasant as UTIs are, they’re also very common, so don’t feel any shame or embarrassment if you picked one up. UTIs are super common, especially among women and people with female-type urethras, with research estimating that 50 to 60 percent of women will get at least one during their lifetime. Make sure to head to the doctor if you’re experiencing symptoms, or if you experience frequent UTIs (defined as two infections in six months or three or more in 12 months). And if UTIs are something you’re worried about or would rather avoid (understandable), make sure to stay hydrated, pee frequently, and try some supplements if you’re interested — going for the ones with high concentrations of cranberry extract or D-mannose, of course.
Before you go, check out these period products that are better than tampons:
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