Natural Cranberries Prove Less Effective When Treating Urinary Tract Infections As Compared With Antibiotics
Previously, capsules containing extracts from naturally occurring cranberries have been commonly used as 'household medication' for the treatment of infections occurring in the urinary tract, this have been used by women in particular. Nonetheless, it has been discovered that manufactured medication and drugs may be more effective when treating UTI (Urinary Tract Infections). This information is in accordance with novel research conducting by researchers from the Netherlands.
Cranberries are not generally as effective in preventing UTI but on the other hand, cranberries do not lead to the development of antibiotic resistance in microorganisms. Female individuals that are ailed by recurring urinary tract infections do not generally enjoy using antibiotics for extended time periods because they are fully aware of the complications arising from antibiotic resistance. Medical doctors should strive to explain the results of this research to patients individually so as to enable them to make an informed choice. These were the views of an infectious diseases professional based at the Academic Medical Centre in Amsterdam, Doctor Suzanne Geerlings.
The research that proved the infectiveness of cranberry containing medication in the treatment of UTI showed that the female individuals that regularly took capsules containing cranberry extracts had a higher likelihood of developing on average, one 'symptomatic' urinary tract infection. This was shown when the data from these individuals was compared from results obtained from females that took antibiotics instead of cranberry containing capsules. Data from this researched also showed that women that took capsules containing cranberry extracts had a higher chance of developing new urinary tract infections after periods of roughly four months in duration while the period was eight months for women taking antibiotics.
Among the most common causes of a large number of bacterial infections is Escherichia Coli, more commonly dubbed 'E Coli'. Infections attributed to E coli include: bacteraemia, UTI, traveller's diarrhoea, cholecystisis and cholangitis among others.
Approximately one in two of women experience a urinary tract experience during their lifetimes, thirty percent of these will have recurring urinary tract infections arising from E Coli infections.
It is nonetheless believed by a naturopathic physician in Maui, Hawaii, Doctor Carolyn Dean, that cranberry juice still has a significant part to play in the prevention of urinary tract infections. The doctor said that cranberry juice capsules and extractions have been in use for an extended period of time, they prevent bacteria from adhering to the wall of the bladder. Therefore, the doctor advises that women who experience bladder irritation following sexual relations should use cranberry containing extracts and capsules as a preventative measure.