A researcher from Bangalore, India, reviewed the evidence and sees a difference between what’s seen in the lab and what’s reported in practice.

Here’s what we know. (more…)

Cranberry-containing products are a folk remedy to prevent UTIs.

Researchers in Taipei and Boston evaluated their value and factors influencing their effectiveness. (more…)

Drs. Catherine Neto and Joe Vinson from the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth and the University of Scranton, in Pennsylvania, contributed a chapter on cranberry in the textbook, Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects. 2nd edition, 2011.

Most of the chapter is detailed biochemistry — their specialty. But, they also review the status of cranberry in cancer therapy and managing urinary tract infections.

Let’s focus on urinary tract infections. (more…)

Several studies report that the polyphenols (a source of antioxidants) in cranberries have properties that may be beneficial for treating and/or preventing dental caries and periodontal disease.

Researchers at Laval University, in Quebec, summarized the scientific evidence supporting the potential of cranberry polyphenols to prevent and/or treat diseases of the mouth. (more…)

Researchers at the University of Oslo, in Norway, studied the use of herbal supplements by pregnant Norwegian women. (more…)

Concern over the risk of resistance to antimicrobial agents has stimulated interest in cranberries to prevent recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs).

Researchers in the Netherlands compared trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) (Septra, Bactrim) to cranberry capsules. (more…)

Catheter-associated bacteriuria is the most common healthcare–associated infection worldwide. It’s due to the widespread use of urinary catheterization.

An Expert Panel of the Infectious Diseases Society of America reviewed the evidence and made recommendations to minimize this risk. Here’s what they say about cranberry juice. (more…)

“The warning that there is a potential to enhance the effect of warfarin… with cranberry juice intake is mostly based on faulty reports.”

That’s the conclusion by researchers at Lenox Hill Hospital, in New York City. (more…)

When the number of platelets in the blood is low — thrombocytopenia — it’s more difficult for blood to clot. Early signs of thrombocytopenia include bruising, and bleeding from the nose or into the gastrointestinal tract.

Researchers from the College of Medicine University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, in Oklahoma City reviewed interactions between platelets and CAM, herbals, nutritional supplements, foods, and beverages. (more…)

Researchers at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, in Ann Arbor, recorded the effects in college women presenting with an acute urinary tract infection (UTI). (more…)

Researchers from the Taichung Veterans General Hospital, in Taiwan examined the effect of cranberry ingestion on cholesterol in Type 2 diabetic patients taking anti-diabetes medicine. (more…)

Urinary tract infections are the most common medical complication in people with spinal cord injury.

Researchers at the University of Guelph, in Ontario, reviewed the evidence for cranberry to prevent or treat these infections and found it lacking. (more…)

A diseased urinary bladder with low capacity and low compliance (ability to urinate) may require ileal enterocystoplasty (remove a part of the small intestine and attach it to the bladder to enlarge it and improve function [photo]).

Researchers at Hospital Foch, in Suresnes, France, studied a cranberry preparation with high levels of proanthocyanidin A (inhibits bacteria from sticking to tissue) to prevent repeated bacteriuria in people with an ileal enterocystoplasty. (more…)

Researchers at the Northern Arizona VA Health Care System, in Prescott, Arizona report that no interaction occurred.

How should we consider these findings in light of other research showing an interaction? (more…)

Researchers from the University of Sydney in Australia investigated the possible impact of two commonly used herbal medicines, garlic and cranberry, on the anticoagulant, warfarin (Coumadin). (more…)

Cranberry juice was compared to Lactobacillus in children with recurrent urinary tract infections by researchers at the Catholic University, in Rome, Italy. (more…)

Women experience urinary tract infections with greater frequency during pregnancy.

It’s not clear if cranberries are helpful to prevent urinary tract infections, but since many people think they are, it’s worth taking a look. (more…)

 Drinking cranberry juice is often recommended along with taking low-dose antibiotics to prevent recurrent urinary tract infection.

Researchers from the University of Washington, in Seattle evaluated the potential risk of an interaction between cranberry juice and the β-lactam antibiotics, amoxicillin (amoxicilline, Amoxil) and cefaclor (Ceclor) that might lower the effectiveness of the antibiotics. (more…)

Dr. David Guay from the University of Minnesota, in Minneapolis has reviewed the evidence. (more…)

Researchers from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, in Massachusetts went into the lab to seek the answer. (more…)