22.26 Cranberry juice for preventing urinary tract infections. American cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) was used medicinally by Native Americans for the treatment of bladder and kidney ailments. A randomized controlled study was designed to test whether regular drinking of cranberry juice can prevent the recurrence of urinary tract infections (UTIs) in women. In the study, 150 women with a urinary tract infection were treated with antibiotic and then randomly assigned to one of three groups. One group drank cranberry juice concentrate daily for six months; another group took a Lactobacillus drink daily for six months (Lactobacillus is a lactose-fermenting bacterium thought to help inhibit the growth of UTI-causing bacteria); the last group served as the control group and drank neither cranberry juice nor Lactobacillus drinks for six months. After six months, the number of women in each group with recurring symptomatic UTI (defined as one or more new infections) was recorded. Here are the results