UTI Help

Ocean Spray, Lakeville-Middleboro, Mass., is distributing its new Cranberry +health juice drink nationwide to hospitals, managed-care facilities and retirement homes as a potential nutritional approach to help reduce urinary tract infections (UTIs). Officials note that UTIs are the second most common infection, and catheter-associated UTIs (CAUTIs) are the most common healthcare-associated infection, with significant associated costs.

“Cranberry +health may be part of a more holistic solution to help lower healthcare costs associated with UTIs and CAUTIs, by reducing the occurrence of those infections,” says Christina Khoo, PhD, director of global health sciences and regulatory affairs at Ocean Spray.

One 8-ounce(240mL) serving of Cranberry +health product is made with 120mg of proanthocyanidins (PACs) with only 35 calories and 6g of sugar. Ocean Spray says more than 50 years of well-documented research has shown that cranberries contain a unique combination of compounds, including PACs, which can be an effective method in preventing UTIs through their ability to block the bacteria that cause them.

Originally appeared in the February, 2017 issue of Prepared Foods as form + function: New functional foods, drinks & supplements.