Urinary Tract Infections Pose Significant Health Concern for Women... A joint research study by the National Kidney Foundation and Ocean Spray has revealed that UTI's are the second leading cause of lost workdays for women and are responsible for about 9.6 million doctors visits annually. The annual health care costs associated with the uncomfortable, and all to common condition, exceeds one billion dollars. "It's estimated that approximately 40 percent of women will experience at least one UTI in their lifetime," said Jennifer Berman, M.D., a University of California at Los Angeles urologist who specializes in female urology.

During the few years, a significant amount of research has demonstrated the benefits of drinking cranberry juice cocktail. A 1994 study published in a leading medical journal found that drinking 10 ounces of cranberry juice cocktail reduced the bacteria associated with urinary tract infections among elderly women who drank it on a daily basis. The research also proved that the urine is not more acidic because of cranberry juice intake.

Unprecedented research from Rutgers University, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, actually identified the protective compounds in cranberries. These natural compounds, called proanthocyanidins, or more commonly known as condenses tannins, inhibit certain harmful bacteria from attaching to the urinary tract wall.