cranberry juice and urinary tract

It is not clear how cranberry juice prevents UTIs. The most common theory among experts is that one or more of its ingredients prevent bacteria from attaching to the urinary bladder wall, so they get washed away more easily in the urine. Others speculate that cranberry juice, a drink high in acid, makes it difficult for bacteria to grow.
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/33/1728_82586

There are compounds in cranberries as well as blueberries that protect against urinary tract infections by preventing infection - causing bacteria from sticking to the bladder wall, new research shows. These beneficial substances are called condensed tannins, or proanthocyanidins.
http://www.maspla.com/cran.html

I have always wonder this -- thanks! I never knew why but know from experience that it is the definitely does.

If a man loves a woman, he'll make sure there's always cranberry juice in the house.

~~~~~~~~

A couple of female friends and I decided that was the ultimate test of true love between a man and a woman.

I'm such a softie, I'll even go out late at night and get cranberry juice for my sweetie.

I always thought it had something to do with changing the acidity in the urine, but I'm no gynecologist.

I just play one on the internet!

I have found that Vitamin C, taken regularly also helps to
prevent urinary tract infections. I believe that it makes the
urine more ACIDIC, which bacteria don't particularly appreciate.
I always thought that was the same reasoning with the
cranberry juice. Of course there are SO MANY THINGS that we
can do to decrease UTI's and believe me, particularly for females,
UTI's are very very serious because they have a tendency to
become CHRONIC. Then, as chronic infections, each time you
have another case, it is called ascending -- or, in other words,
every infection goes HIGHER up in the urinary tract. The 1st one
may be just the bladder, but subsequent infections go higher and
higher until you become a woman who has chronic kidney
infections and who has to see a specialist. Frankly, if I were a
young woman, I would see a specialist for ANY or every UTI that
I ever had, as a pharmacist, what I've seen is that most family
doctors, or even OB/GYNE doctors write for the right drugs, but for
not nearly enough of it. A beginning UTI - if treated properly -
should NEVER recur. But I have seen competent doctors treat a
woman with only sufficient medication for 7 days???? This is insane.
This is a guarantee that you will be back again with another UTI
before the year is out. SO - be forewarned;
YOU DO NOT WANT TO BECOME ONE OF THE STATISTICS OF
OLD WOMEN WITH CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE. My family MD
who treated my very first UTI when I was in my early 20's
had me take an antibiotic for 2 weeks and then a urine acidifier
for several months ... as he warned me of the dangers of this
becoming a chronic condition. ( and this was in the 1970's? )
Other factors to help avoid Urinary Infections:
1. Always urinate immediately after intercourse (or as soon as
possible thereafter) Intercourse may push some germs up into
the urinary tract accidentally. Peeing flushes them out of there.
2. Do NOT wear underwear that are not 100 percent cotton
3. Avoid wearing TIGHT pants, because they cause too much
rubbing back and forth between the anal and the vaginal area,
allowing for the wrong bacteria to get to the wrong place. The
normal anal bacteria are fine where they are, but wreak havoc
in the urinary tract.