# Cranberry & Raspberry Tea--good for urinary tract? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 19, 2023, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cranberry-raspberry-tea-good-for-urinary-tract/993352 "2023-11-19T01:47:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2023, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cranberry-raspberry-tea-good-for-urinary-tract/993352/1 "2023-11-19T01:47:57Z")
Does it help with Urinary or Prostate Infections? Example here– [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000UZPCMG?psc=1&ref=ppx\_yo2ov\_dt\_b\_product\_details](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000UZPCMG?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details) ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2023, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cranberry-raspberry-tea-good-for-urinary-tract/993352/2 "2023-11-19T01:51:31Z")
I swore by cranberry juice when I got them chronically. But not sure whether huge quantities of water wouldn’t have the same effect. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2023, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cranberry-raspberry-tea-good-for-urinary-tract/993352/3 "2023-11-19T01:57:07Z")
Evidence that cranberry juice may help prevent UTIs in women prone to them is not real strong, but [meta-analysis](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37068952/) of many such studies indicates it may help. From the review: " **Authors’ conclusions:** This update adds a further 26 studies taking the total number of studies to 50 with 8857 participants. These data support the use of cranberry products to reduce the risk of symptomatic, culture-verified UTIs in women with recurrent UTIs, in children, and in people susceptible to UTIs following interventions. The evidence currently available does not support its use in the elderly, patients with bladder emptying problems, or pregnant women." ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2023, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cranberry-raspberry-tea-good-for-urinary-tract/993352/4 "2023-11-19T02:19:16Z")
And cranberry tea? ---
**Author:** ![Snipe70e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/51bf81/32.png) [@Snipe70e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snipe70e)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2023, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cranberry-raspberry-tea-good-for-urinary-tract/993352/5 "2023-11-19T02:24:57Z")
Cranberry yes. But I would stay away from anything with caffeine it can irritate the bladder. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2023, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cranberry-raspberry-tea-good-for-urinary-tract/993352/6 "2023-11-20T02:58:59Z")
Cranberry juice can lower the pH of urine (makes it more acidic) and this can impair the “sticky” ability of some UTI-causing organisms. In any event, it’s harmless. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2023, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cranberry-raspberry-tea-good-for-urinary-tract/993352/7 "2023-11-20T03:09:28Z")
I think it would take gallons. Cranberry gummies might be a better choice. Lots of cranberry juice will give you a very acid-y tummy. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2023, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cranberry-raspberry-tea-good-for-urinary-tract/993352/8 "2023-11-22T14:42:15Z")
Problem is that actual cranberry juice is pucker mouth tart. Most people actually drink a cranberry juice _blend_ in which the cranberry juice is greatly diluted with apple juice or sugar water. Not sure how many actually drink the advised 8 ounces of actual cranberry juice per day. And multiple glasses of the high sugar cocktails or blends probably tisn’t a great choice for most. Unclear to me if the pill forms fall in that meta analysis. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2023, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cranberry-raspberry-tea-good-for-urinary-tract/993352/9 "2023-11-23T01:53:17Z")
As stated in the O-post–is cranberry tea helpful? ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2023, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cranberry-raspberry-tea-good-for-urinary-tract/993352/10 "2023-11-23T02:38:06Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > Problem is that actual cranberry juice is pucker mouth tart. I love real cranberry juice. But yes, it is mouth puckering. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2023, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cranberry-raspberry-tea-good-for-urinary-tract/993352/11 "2023-11-23T02:41:25Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > > [@DSeid](#): > > > > Problem is that actual cranberry juice is pucker mouth tart. > > I love real cranberry juice. But yes, it is mouth puckering. - That’s putting it mildly. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2023, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cranberry-raspberry-tea-good-for-urinary-tract/993352/12 "2023-11-23T02:51:36Z")
Our one dog is 16 in a few months and she gets cranberry additive mixed into her breakfast every morning to help with bladder control. Enthusiastically suggested by two different vets. She does need to pee many, many times a day, but better outside than inside. Of course, you can take this with a grain of salt. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2023, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cranberry-raspberry-tea-good-for-urinary-tract/993352/13 "2023-11-23T03:13:21Z")
If you are looking for a concentrated cranberry dose to assist with urinary tract health, I have a friend who swears by [D Mannose](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076VX76XW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1). I tried it on her recommendation during a spate of infections and don’t know if it helped or not - I did stop having infections, but it could have been coincidence as I haven’t had too much trouble with UTIs in recent years. At the time she recommended it, I looked it up and it seemed like there MIGHT be a little evidence, largely anecdotal, that it was helpful. Certainly it seems harmless, so I gave it a try. My only complaint, which may have been psychosomatic, was that while I was taking it my bladder area felt a bit - hard to describe - glowing. It was NOT painful or irritating, it was just odd. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2023, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cranberry-raspberry-tea-good-for-urinary-tract/993352/14 "2023-11-23T16:04:45Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > As stated in the O-post–is cranberry tea helpful? I’ve found no evidence that cranberry tea has even been specifically scientifically studied _in humans_ regarding its effects on the urinary tract. There are anecdotal reports galore in the literature however. Some studies have been done regarding cranberry tea vs cranberry juice vs pomegranate juice regarding bacterial mobility, but that was all in vitro. [https://journals.asm.org/doi/full/10.1128/aem.02677-10](https://journals.asm.org/doi/full/10.1128/aem.02677-10) Do with that what you will. But such results would not make me advise patients to use cranberry tea for any purported health benefits. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2023, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cranberry-raspberry-tea-good-for-urinary-tract/993352/15 "2023-11-23T20:50:03Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > Problem is that actual cranberry juice is pucker mouth tart. Yeah, real cranberry juice not mixed with other fruit juice, is some real bitter stuff. I am of the opinion that that the cranberry/UTI benefit is mostly an industry invented “natural” medicine. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2023, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cranberry-raspberry-tea-good-for-urinary-tract/993352/16 "2023-11-25T14:17:52Z")
One of the non-trivial benefits to the cranberry juice cure is that, in order to get enough cranberry in you, you end up drinking a whole lot of water (and sugar, in the form of other juices). Thinning your urine and flushing it out many times is actually quite a good way to get rid of an early infection.