[Cranberry juice and its role in urinary infections]

Abstract

The urinary tract infection is a worldwide health problem, with a ratio of 9 to 1 in women compared with men. In 80% of the cases, the causing bacteria is Escherichia coli. During reproductive life this infection represents a great amount of work disabilities, hence the need to insist on its prophylaxis. The red cranberry juice is an option to prevent urinary tract infection, a quality demonstrated in several recent publications which emphasize that its mechanism of action lies in the effect exerted by proantocyanidines, especially those of type A, in the urothelium that prevent Escherichia coli from adhering to this and exerts its antibacterial action, which is achieved with the ingestion of at least 300 mL of juice every day.