Urine Infection (cont.)

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Is it possible to prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs) with diet and supplements?

It is possible to reduce the chance that a UTI will develop with dietary methods and some supplements but prevention of all UTIs is unlikely with these methods. Dietary changes such as increasing fluid intake will usually increase urine formation and even diluted urine with increased flow rates will tend to reduce or eliminate retrograde bacterial advancement and reduce the chance for infection. Supplements such as eating cranberries, taking vitamin C tablets, and eating yogurt and other substances also may reduce the chance that a UTI will develop (see home remedies section above). However, as stated in the prevention section, changes in a person's lifestyle may reduce the chance getting a UTI as good as, if not better than, any diet or supplement.

REFERENCES:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). "Healthcare-associated Infections (HAIs): Guidelines and Recommendations." National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Disease (NCEZID) Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion (DHQP). 29 June 2011. <http://www.cdc.gov/HAI/prevent/prevent_pubs.html>.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). "Catheter-associated Urinary Tract Infections (CAUTI)." National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Disease (NCEZID) Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion (DHQP). 22 Mar. 2011. <http://www.cdc.gov/HAI/ca_uti/uti.html>.


Reviewed by Jerry R. Balentine, DO, FACEP on 2/1/2013

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