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

First, the details.

• 84 girls, 3 to 14 years old were randomly assigned to a treatment group for 6 months.
  • Cranberry juice 50 mL daily
  • 100 mL of Lactobacillus GG drink 5 days a month
  • Control

And, the results.

• Only 4 patients discontinued treatment early.
• There were 34 episodes of urinary tract infections.
• The incidences of at least 1 urinary tract infections were as follows.
  • Cranberry juice: 19%, significantly better than the other groups
  • Lactobacillus GG: 42%
  • Control: 48 %

The bottom line?

The authors concluded, “These data suggest that daily consumption of concentrated cranberry juice can significantly prevent the recurrence of symptomatic urinary tract infections in children.”

The value of cranberries to prevent urinary tract infections is mixed as reported here and here.

However, these results with Lactobacillus GG support a recent review by researchers at the University of Wisconsin Medical School, Madison, where “No clear benefit was seen for… urinary tract infection. “

12/8/09 20:20 JR