Yes, cranberry may help lower your risk of getting another UTI, especially if you're a woman who gets them again and again. A 2023 Cochrane review of 50 trials found that cranberry products lowered the risk of symptomatic UTIs by about 30% overall and by about 26% in women with recurrent UTIs. It is not a treatment for an infection you already have.
If you're tired of the burning, the urgent dashes to the bathroom and round after round of antibiotics, you have probably wondered whether cranberry is worth it or just an old remedy that never quite worked. Here is what the research really shows, including where it falls short.
Key takeaways
- The largest review to date (50 trials, 8,857 people) found cranberry products reduced the risk of symptomatic, lab-confirmed UTIs, with moderate-certainty evidence.
- Women with recurrent UTIs had about a 26% lower risk. Children and people at risk after medical procedures saw even bigger drops.
- Cranberry showed little or no benefit for older adults living in care facilities, pregnant women, or people with nerve-related bladder problems.
- Cranberry is about lowering the chance of the next UTI. Symptoms of an active infection need a doctor, and usually antibiotics.
Why do some women keep getting UTIs?
Most UTIs are caused by E. coli, bacteria that normally live in the gut. Women get UTIs far more often than men, largely because our urethra is shorter, which gives bacteria a shorter trip to the bladder.
Doctors usually call it a recurrent UTI when you have two or more infections in six months, or three or more in a year. If that sounds like you, you are far from alone, and it's worth understanding your personal triggers. Our guide on why you keep getting UTIs walks through the most common ones.
What does the biggest cranberry study say?
When researchers want the most reliable answer to a health question, they look to Cochrane reviews. These pool the good-quality trials on a topic and grade how confident we can be in the result.
The 2023 Cochrane review on cranberries for preventing UTIs is the most complete look so far. It brought together 50 trials with 8,857 participants who used cranberry products, such as juice or tablets and capsules, compared with a placebo or no treatment. The researchers counted UTIs that caused symptoms and were confirmed with a urine culture, so these were real, lab-verified infections.
Overall, cranberry products reduced the risk of those infections, and the authors rated the evidence as moderate certainty. That means the true effect is probably close to what they found, though it could still be somewhat different.
Here is how the results broke down for different groups:
| Group | Risk ratio | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Everyone combined | 0.70 | About 30% lower risk |
| Women with recurrent UTIs | 0.74 | About 26% lower risk |
| Children | 0.46 | About 54% lower risk |
| People susceptible after medical interventions | 0.47 | About 53% lower risk |
A quick way to read a risk ratio: 0.70 means that for every 10 UTIs in the comparison group, there were about 7 in the cranberry group. Helpful, but not a force field.
Does cranberry help women with recurring UTIs?
This is the group most of us care about, and the evidence here is fairly consistent.
A 2017 meta-analysis by Fu and colleagues in the Journal of Nutrition focused on otherwise healthy women. It found cranberry reduced the risk of UTI recurrence by 26%, the same figure the Cochrane review later reported for women with recurrent UTIs.
One of the best individual trials, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2016, followed 373 women who had recently had a UTI. Half drank one 240 mL (about 8 oz) cranberry beverage every day for 24 weeks; the other half drank a placebo. The cranberry group had 39 clinical UTI episodes compared with 67 in the placebo group, about 39% fewer.
A 2021 trial in BMC Urology compared a higher-dose cranberry supplement (37 mg of PACs, the active compounds) with a very low dose (2 mg) in 145 women with recurrent UTIs over 24 weeks. Overall, the higher dose led to 24% fewer UTIs, but that difference was not statistically significant. In women who had fewer than five UTIs the previous year, though, the higher dose led to 43% fewer UTIs, and that result was significant.
Put together, a realistic expectation is that cranberry may reduce how often UTIs come back for many women. It is unlikely to make them disappear entirely.
Who doesn't seem to benefit from cranberry?
Honest research means talking about where cranberry didn't help. The Cochrane review found little or no benefit in three groups:
- Elderly people living in institutions such as nursing homes
- Pregnant women
- People with neuromuscular bladder dysfunction (bladder problems caused by nerve conditions)
A well-run 2016 trial in JAMA backs this up. It gave 185 women aged 65 and older living in nursing homes cranberry capsules with 72 mg of PACs daily for a year. There was no significant difference compared with placebo: 10 symptomatic UTIs in the cranberry group and 12 in the placebo group.
If you are pregnant, care for someone in a nursing home, or live with a bladder condition, talk with a doctor about prevention options that fit that situation.
How does cranberry work against UTIs?
Cranberry doesn't work like an antibiotic. It doesn't kill bacteria. Instead, researchers believe compounds called proanthocyanidins (PACs) make it harder for E. coli to stick to the lining of the urinary tract, so bacteria are more easily flushed out when you pee.
A 2010 study in BMC Infectious Diseases found that 36 mg of cranberry PACs a day produced anti-adhesion activity against E. coli in urine, and 72 mg a day gave longer protection that lasted through the day and night. That was a lab test of urine samples, not a count of infections, but it helps explain why daily use matters. We go deeper in our explainer on what cranberry PACs are and how they work.
Is cranberry juice or a supplement better?
Both have been studied. The 2016 trial above used a cranberry beverage, while other trials used capsules or tablets.
In 2020, the FDA allowed a qualified health claim for cranberry supplements containing at least 500 mg of cranberry fruit powder: “Limited scientific evidence shows that by consuming 500 mg each day of cranberry dietary supplement, healthy women who have had a urinary tract infection (UTI) may reduce their risk of recurrent UTI.” For cranberry juice drinks, the FDA described the evidence as “limited and inconsistent.”
Many women find a supplement easier to take every day without the added sugar in most juice cocktails. We compare the options in detail in cranberry pills vs. cranberry juice for UTIs.
How can I get the most out of cranberry?
- Take it every day. The trials gave cranberry daily for six months to a year, not just when symptoms flared.
- Pair it with good habits. Stay hydrated, pee after sex and wipe front to back. See our evidence-based UTI prevention habits.
- Track your UTIs. A simple note on your phone helps you and your doctor see whether things are improving.
- Never use it instead of care. If you have symptoms, see a doctor. Untreated UTIs can spread to the kidneys.
- Check first if needed. If you're pregnant, take prescription medicines or have kidney problems, ask your doctor or pharmacist before starting any supplement.
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FAQ
Can cranberry cure a UTI I have right now?
No. Cranberry is studied for lowering the risk of future UTIs, not for treating an active one. If you have symptoms, see a doctor, who may prescribe antibiotics.
How long should I take cranberry before deciding if it helps?
The trials discussed here ran from 24 weeks to a year, because recurrent UTIs come and go. Consistent daily use over several months, reviewed with your doctor, gives a fairer picture than a few weeks.
Does cranberry work for everyone?
No. Results vary from person to person, and the research found little or no benefit for older adults in care facilities, pregnant women and people with nerve-related bladder problems.
Is cranberry worth trying after menopause?
It may be one part of a plan. After menopause, UTIs often become more frequent, and vaginal estrogen prescribed by a doctor is another option worth asking about. Read more in our guide to UTIs after menopause.
References
- Williams G, et al. Cranberries for preventing urinary tract infections. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2023;CD001321.pub7.
- Fu Z, Liska D, Talan D, Chung M. Cranberry reduces the risk of urinary tract infection recurrence in otherwise healthy women: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Nutr. 2017;147(12):2282-2288.
- Maki KC, et al. Am J Clin Nutr. 2016;103(6):1434-1442 (summary via The Pharmaceutical Journal).
- Babar A, et al. BMC Urology. 2021.
- Juthani-Mehta M, et al. Effect of cranberry capsules on bacteriuria plus pyuria among older women in nursing homes: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA. 2016;316(18):1879-1887.
- Howell AB, et al. BMC Infect Dis. 2010;10:94.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA announces qualified health claim for certain cranberry products and urinary tract infections. July 2020.
This article is for general information and is not medical advice. If you have symptoms of a UTI (burning, urgency, fever, back pain or blood in your urine), see a doctor promptly. Cranberry is not a treatment for an active infection. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.