Cranberry oligosaccharides might help prevent UTIs

Many people have heard that drinking cranberry juice can help prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs). Although clinical trials of this popular folk remedy have produced mixed results, some studies have shown that drinking cranberry juice can keep bacteria that cause UTIs from sticking to cells lining the urinary tract. Now, researchers reporting in ACS’ Journal of Natural Products have identified cranberry oligosaccharides in the urine of cranberry-fed pigs that could be responsible for this activity.