The power-packed cranberry has been touted as an effective and all-natural remedy for urinary tract infections (UTIs) for decades. Women drink the juice by the glassful and tell their friends about it too, thinking that some compounds in cranberries can treat or even prevent UTIs. But here's the truth: there's actually scant scientific evidence that cranberry juice does anything for an infection "down there."
Recently, researchers at the Yale School published a study which showed that high-dose cranberry capsules did not reduce UTIs in a population of female patients in nursing homes. Another editorial stated that "convincing that cranberry products should not be recommended as a medical intervention for the prevention of UTI" and "clinicians should not be promoting cranberry use by suggesting that there is proven, or even possible, benefit."
So, despite the notoriety of cranberry juice and UTIs, patients with UTIs should consult doctors for some antibiotics.
