An article was published last week saying that Cranberry had been proven not to be effective in the treatment of Urinary Tract Infections.
Cranberries may not help prevent UTIs, research suggests
The AP (10/27, Tanner) reports that research published online in the Journal of the American Medical Association indicated “cranberry capsules didn’t prevent or cure urinary infections in nursing home residents.” The finding “adds to decades of conflicting evidence on whether cranberries in any form can prevent extremely common bacterial infections, especially in women.”
Reuters (10/27, Seaman) reports that investigators “randomly assigned 185 women over 65 years old living in 21 nursing homes…to take pills every day.” The study “participants received either two capsules containing cranberry extracts” or a placebo.
TIME (10/27, Park) reports, “The capsules did not seem to do much for either reducing the amount of bacteria in the women’s urine, or for lowering the number of UTIs during the study; both the women taking the cranberry capsules and the placebo had similar rates of both.”
The New York Times (10/27, Hoffman, Subscription Publication) reports, “In a strongly worded editorial also in JAMA, Lindsay E. Nicolle, MD, an expert on urinary tract infections…concluded that the evidence is ‘convincing that cranberry products should not be recommended as a medical intervention for the prevention of UTI.’”
SHAME!
It’s amazing how bold is guilt!
Follow the money. At the end of the trail you will find researchers whose subjectivity is likely suspect given their ties to the pharmaceuticals.
Look it up! You will find dozens of articles showing that Cranberry does work for UTIs, mild UTIs in healthy people that is.
BUT, the study quoted above was done in Nursing Home patients, well know to have resistant organisns in their Urinary Tract AND their immune system is compromised. Throw in the fact that their hygiene is poor and that their plumbing is at best sagging and at worst obstructed!
I know, my mom is one of those patients. She almost died from the treatment of an UTI. Yeah, Cipro almost shut down her kidneys for good.
Nursing Home patients!
What would you think of a study on a drug for cancer given to nursing home patients in the twilight of their lives?
