Effective cranberry supplement: The essential information you should look for

Urinary tract infections (UTI) or cystitis are the most common bacterial infections affecting women and occur 50 times more than for men. The female anatomy facilitates the bacterial contamination of the Escherichia Coli bacterium (E. coli). 

Frequent recurrences is one of the main problems of UTIs. Antibiotic treatment is effective to curb an infection but does not prevent recurrences as the bacterium becomes more resistant to antibiotics and colonizes the inside of the bladder cells. 

Good hygienic habits such as drinking enough water, urinating after intercourse, and avoiding urine retention will be of great help but may not be enough. 

For decades, cranberry consumption has been highly recommended as a natural solution to fight Urinary Tract Infections and supplements are widely available as the go-to solution. Studies have demonstrated that these little cherries, rich in proanthocyanidins (PACs) – powerful antioxidants flavonoids – have an immediate and long-lasting anti-adhesion effect of bacteria to the cells of the bladder wall by modifying the chemical composition of urine and can reduce the risk of recurrent infections by 40%.

What you should know about Cranberry extracts in your supplements:

For a cranberry supplement to be effective, standardisation of the concentration of proanthocyanidins (PACs) in the cranberry extract is essential. What is important is not how much cranberries are in the product but how much active part of the fruit is present.
Standardization focuses and guarantees the quantity of the active part of the ingredient: in this case the PAC’s. 

A multicentre randomized clinical trial (RCT) in adult women showed that a daily dose of 36 mg PACs or more provided an optimal antibacterial effect (1).
Most supplements do not use standardized extracts and do not disclose the concentration of PACs. A dosage below this recommendation will show to be less effective.

Laboratoires Activa designed an effective cranberry supplement named Chrono Elimination to target specifically urinary infection with a dosage of 100mg of PAC. Combined with herbal extracts known for their antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties, it is the perfect combination for quick action and a fast relief of UTI. 

Microgranule technology improves the bioavailability of the formula with a controlled release and gastro-protection of the actives.

Click here to find out more about Chrono Elimination

We’ve selected a range of supplements:

• Made of 100% natural active ingredients
• Completely bioavailable and biocompatible

Sources:

[1] Standardised high dose versus low dose cranberry Proanthocyanidin extracts for the prevention of recurrent urinary tract infection in healthy women [PACCANN]: a double blind randomised controlled trial protocol | BMC Urology | Full Text