What do salmon, yoghurt and cranberries have in common? Yep, they’re good for your health, especially down there. Studies have shown that foods with omega-3 fatty acids, probiotics and bacteria-blasting properties are on top of the list for keeping your lady parts in tip top “No infections here, thank you very much!” condition.

But what is it exactly about cranberry that’s got everyone raving about it?

Relation between Cranberries & UTI

Well, for one, cranberry juice is linked to good bladders and UTI-free tracts. In fact, history shows that even the Native Americans used cranberries as a natural treatment for bladder and kidney diseases. The reason for this is that cranberries contain significant amount of salicylic acid, which helps reduce swellings and prevents blood clots. Back to today though, they say it can even do double duty to prevent AND relieve the symptoms of urinary tract infections (UTI).

There are two schools of thought as to how this works.

One school of thought suggests that the acidic compounds cranberries contain go down into your urine and beat up the bacteria before it has a chance to cause any infections, keeping your vaginal area in balanced pH heaven.

The other school of thought is that the chemicals in cranberries actually prevent the bacteria from sticking to your bladder wall or urinary tract. In particular, cranberries contain proanthocyanidins that possess anti-clinging properties, so that the bacteria doesn’t get a chance to multiply further but is instead flushed out with your urine.

Numerous Studies

A study was conducted in Sweden to see if cranberry really does have any effect on vaginal bacteria. In particular, it looked at how “cranberries have been shown to produce urinary metabolites that influence uropathogen adhesion and prevent urinary tract infections”. The study suggested that cranberries actually do “reduce the risk of UTIs by inhibiting pathogen adhesion while not detrimentally affecting urinary pH or vaginal microbiota”.

Though it was only a small study, it seems well accepted in the field that there is some beneficial effects of cranberry both in prevention of UTIs and maintenance of healthy female parts. The best part about the study findings is that it noted that it’s only the bad bacteria that gets attacked, while the good bacteria is left intact (that’s the kind you need)!

According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, cranberry has long been used to reduce bacteria in the urinary tract of both men and women and is safe. And a study in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology found that women who took cranberry after gynaecological surgery reduced the rate of UTI occurrence by half.

If it’s so widely beneficial, why not quickly down a whole bottle of cranberry juice!

Adding Cranberries Into Your Diet

Well, hold on right there. There’re a few reasons why this isn’t a good idea. For one, researchers have admitted that to prevent bacterial adhesion, it requires real cranberry extracts, and not just some extracted flavour in juices. Dr Timothy Boone, PhD, vice dean of the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine in Houston, US, says this: “Cranberry juice, especially the juice concentrates you find at the grocery store, will not treat a UTI or bladder infection. It can offer more hydration… but the active ingredient in cranberry is long gone by the time it reaches your bladder.”

Also something that is super important to note is this: Most cranberry juices contain A LOT of sugar, like heaping amounts of sugar. The fact is that cranberry juice, pure and natural, doesn’t taste exceptionally nice, and without all that sugar, no one would even want to drink it. But don’t forget that yeast feeds on sugar, it thrives on sugary environments. It gives them the fuel to grow and multiply and make you feel even worse.

So before you go out and grab that bottle of cranberry juice, what if we told you there’s a way to enjoy all these benefits without the risks of boosting the yeast content in your body?

Vagisil’s pH Plus Intimate Wash, which already contains LactoPrebiotic™, has gone through a formula overhaul and now boasts an additional wonderful ingredient: natural cranberry extract. When you’re out shopping for it, make sure you look out for the red label that says “Now with natural cranberry extract”. Now you can enjoy all the benefits of cranberry where it is needed most, to help support a healthy intimate pH and leave you feeling protected!