Busting the cranberry myth

A recent program on ABC's Health Report titled Busting the Cranberry Myth, looked at a randomised trial which showed no significant difference in women in nursing homes who took cranberry capsules for urinary tract infections, compared to a control group who took a placebo. The lead author of the paper, published in JAMA, Manisha Juthani-Mehta, was interviewed on the program and explained her findings. She did say that cranberries probably help ease the symptoms of urinary tract infections, but could not find evidence that they can treat the problem.

Manisha Juthani-Mehta 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. doi:10.1001/jama.2016.16141