The efficacy of cranberries in the prevention of recurrent cystitis is regularly highlighted in medical studies … And just as regularly questioned in other studies. The latest, led by Prof. Nathalie Tufenkji, from McGill University in Montreal (Canada) points to the effectiveness of small red berries in preventing the proliferation of bacteria in the bladder in hospitalized people.
Urinary tract infectionscaused by the insertion of a catheter are one of the most frequent nosocomial diseases, responsible for 40% of infections linked to hospitalization. Treatment with antibiotics is then essential to overcome the infection.
“Each year, thousands of hospital patients suffer from urinary complications from the insertion of a catheter in the bladder. However, we found that cranberry juice prevented bacteria from adhering to the surface of the bladder wall. And in particular the Proteus mirabilis bacterium, one of the germs most frequently responsible for urinary tract infections, ”explains Professor Tufenkji. “A high concentration of cranberry juice also reduces the production of urea, an enzyme that increases the virulence of infections,” she adds in an article in the Canadian Journal of Microbiology.
