No Benefit From Cranberry Pills

Newswise — Does cranberry extract help prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs)? That's a popular notion, but it doesn't hold up in a population that is prone to UTIs. UAB clinical pathologist Ken Waites, M.D., directed a study of individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) at the university's Rehabilitation Research and Training Center. "Complications due to UTI are a primary medical concern and more likely to affect the overall health and health care costs of people with SCI," says Waites. Forty-three patients were randomized to receive cranberry extract or placebo. "Our study did not show that cranberry pills offer any benefit in reducing the number of bacteria in the urine of these individuals." .