For anyone who has experienced a urinary tract infection, treating it as soon as possible is a high priority. They can be extremely uncomfortable and make working near impossible which is why a quick solution is so sought after.
To understand what the best solution is, one must first understand how a urinary tract infections comes about in the first place. The basics of the infection are bacteria has made its way into the urethra, has started to colonised and has caused an infection. This infection can further spread up into the bladder and in a worst case scenario, even further up the urinary tract to the kidneys.
Approximately 90% of urinary tract infections are caused by e.coli, typically from the anus region. These e.coli bacteria latch onto the bladder wall where they start to cause inflammation and pain.
When taking a visit to your doctor, complaining about a UTI, most will prescribe antibiotics. Unfortunately antibiotics come with a range of side effects and will lose their effectiveness over time. Antibiotics should be treated as a last resort for a serious infection where they will work because you have not been constantly taking them and built up a resistance.
Cranberry products have been associated with urinary tract infection treatment with mixed results. However the active ingredient in cranberries and other berries has now been isolated and produced in high concentrations for supplemention. The problem with drinking cranberry juice was all the sugar that came with it, however now you can take the concentrated ingredient in it’s pure form.
This magic ingredient is called D-mannose and it works by lining the bladder walls and attaching to e.coli bacteria, stopping it from attaching and colonising. This means when you urinate, the bacteria is flushed out much faster, allowing your own immune system to get on top of the infection quickly. D-mannose works great as a treatment, taking any time from 4-48 hours depending on the severity of the infection to work, but also as a preventative. If the bacteria cant stick to the bladder wall, they just get flushed out.
The popularity of D-mannose has exploded so if you want to try a natural alterative to antibiotics, look for a pure form of D-mannose in a powdered form. Avoid pills as they take much longer to break down and be absorbed. Biosphere Nutrition’s Urinary Tract Support is a good example of a high dose of naturally flavoured and sweetened D-mannose.