Cranberries, a rich source of anthocyanins, have been well-studied for their effects in preventing urinary tract infections (UTIs), with most studies predominantly investigating this health outcome in women. In a recent clinical study, a standardized cranberry extract marketed as Anthocran Phytosome was tested against a population of 64 people at inordinately high risk of developing UTIS – those who had undergone recent surgical procedures and required post-surgical urinary catheterization for high-risk UTIs or previous history of recurrent UTIs.
 
“Recurrent lower urinary tract infections are common after urinary catheterization in surgical patients even after procedures without significant complications,” the authors of the study said, noting that in most cases, UTIs are the result of an inflammatory response triggered by bacteria.  “Great attention and care are required to handle these complications, which may be distressing and may complicate the post-operative recovery. The use of antibiotics during/after surgery may further complicate the infection by selecting bacterial strains that are resistant to antibiotic treatments.” Further, “the long-term use of nitrofurantoin has been associated with anemia, pulmonary toxicity, hepatic disease, and neuropathy in some patients,” the authors said.
 
In the study, participants were randomized to receive either a placebo, 120mg per day of the extract, 240 mg per day of the extract, or the antibiotic nitrofurantoin, for four weeks each.
 
Following the study period, supplementation with the cranberry extract was more effective compared with standard management and the treatment with nitrofurantoin, regardless of which dosage was used, based on the proportion of each patient pool which experienced incident UTIs. Moreover, the extract was superior when it came to the recurrence of UTIs in the following three month study period. 
 
“New [post-surgical] supplements may offer an interesting alternative solution for preventing R-UTIs after surgical procedures, without using antibiotics. Anthocran has shown very promising results in the prevention of UTIs both in young healthy subjects and in older men suffering from benign prostatic hyperplasia.”