If you’ve been considering a UTI supplement, you may be wondering how it actually impacts your body. Many people find that taking a bit of time to learn about their bodies helps them feel better about what they put inside them.
The first thing to know is that UTIs may become more common as we age; a result of changing hormones, especially around pregnancy and menopause. Lower levels of estrogen impact muscles in the bladder, leading to a weaker urethra, while skin grows thinner in those areas which can create vaginal dryness.
These changes all contribute to UTIs that can lead to discomfort, irritation, and pain. But it doesn’t have to be that way. To that end, here’s some information that can help you better understand your body and how to support it:
What Causes a UTI?
A urinary tract infection is just what it sounds like: an infection in your urinary tract. This section of a woman’s body includes the bladder, urethra, kidneys, and ureters. The infection typically occurs in the lower regions — the bladder and urethra — where the urine exits the body.
Women have shorter urethras compared to men, so bacteria from the anus have a shorter distance to travel. As the bacteria travel up the urethra and into the bladder, they cause an infection. While many women may have bacteria enter the area, not all women get UTIs, and especially not frequent UTIs.
Scientists theorize that some women get more UTIs than others because of a bacterial imbalance. With a healthy balance, the good bacteria will fight off the bad bacteria. Another cause is that the body doesn’t flush the bad bacteria off the walls of the urinary tract. That’s why many people have turned to a reliable and supportive UTI supplement for help.
Traditional Treatment and Prevention for UTIs
The classic approach to UTIs has been to treat them with antibiotics. This approach makes sense when it comes to getting rid of an infection. Antibiotics kill bacteria. The problem is that antibiotics aren’t selective in their attack.
The more antibiotics you take, the more the good bacteria are affected along the way. That means you’ll have fewer defenses next time you get a UTI, which could potentially lead to more frequent UTIs.
It has long been thought that cranberry juice is an approach to UTIs. The truth is that juice from your local grocery store is rich in sugars and tastes great, but doesn’t actually do anything. The answer is sourced directly from a compound in the berries—Proanthocyanidins (PACs).
A practice dating back to Native Americans, cranberries, rich in antioxidant and anti-inflammatory polyphenols, have been a source of natural healing for centuries. They often treated bladder and kidney problems with cranberries with great results, which is why the compounds are studied today.
The Science of UTI Supplements
So, you may be wondering, “What’s the point of UTI supplements?” After all, you can just drink cranberry juice, right? Well, not exactly. Studies have shown that cranberry juice doesn’t contain nearly the recommended dosage of PACs to do any good, no matter how much you drink. In fact, it takes 36 mg per day to stave off the infection.
You also have to understand that not all cranberry supplements offer the same efficacy, so it’s important to choose the right one.
For consistent results, it’s a better idea to opt for a trusted UTI supplement that offers a guaranteed 36 mg in every dose. This can help flush your urinary tract walls of bad bacteria while not damaging the good bacteria in your gut. It should be noted that some tout the use of D-Mannose, another compound in cranberries, to prevent UTIs. However, sufficient evidence has not shown D-mannose to be effective.
What You Can Do About UTIs
If you have frequent UTIs, it’s a good idea to keep a UTI supplement on hand and take it daily until balance is restored. While taking your supplement, you can make lifestyle adjustments that may allow you to become UTI-free forever. It’s a lifelong process that includes shifting your gut microbiome to one that protects you better.
In addition to the supplement, be sure to remove all scented products from your vaginal area that could irritate the urethra. Second, make sure you hydrate throughout the day and get plenty of Vitamin C. These can help flush your urinary tract and keep your urine acidic, which can help prevent bacterial growth. Third, make sure you’re eating gut-healthy foods like yogurt, sauerkraut, fiber, and olive oil. Finally, exercising regularly will keep your digestive tract (and by extension your gut) healthy.
In the end, the science behind UTI supplements supports the use of a supplement with 36 mg of PACs daily to prevent UTIs. Now that you understand what’s happening in your body, you can take better control over its processes.
In combination with a healthy diet and exercise, you can take a UTI supplement and work toward being UTI-free for the rest of your life. Take a proactive approach to your personal wellness and minimize UTIs by educating yourself on the hows and whys behind them, so you can maintain a healthy, active lifestyle at every stage of life.
A professional writer with over a decade of incessant writing skills. Her topics of interest and expertise range from health, nutrition and psychology.
