D-Mannose, Cranberry, and Urinary Health
Michael Ventresca • May 8, 2023
The pain and discomfort of a urinary tract infection are some of the most frequent medical complaints among women. The vast majority of UTIs are caused by the common bacteria E.coli. While harmless in the gut where it normally resides, E.coli can cause problems when it spreads to the opening of the urinary tract, and travels up to the bladder where it grabs hold and begins to multiply. The result is a painful UTI.
The conventional approach is to prescribe antibiotics. The problem is, as we know, antibiotics kill the bad, as well as your good bacteria in the gut. This can introduce a whole new set of issues. Thankfully, health experts are increasingly prescribing a better option.
Cranberries contain a simple sugar called D-mannose. While our bodies cannot process D-mannose (it does not affect blood sugar), E.coli love it. In fact, if you have enough D-mannose in your system, the bacteria will simply let go of the bladder wall and grab onto the D-mannose molecule. When you urinate, the E.coli, now clutching to the D-mannose, quite literally get flushed from your system without harming the good bacteria.
While drinking cranberry juice can be helpful, it often doesn’t contain enough D-mannose. To that end, my favorite product is Cranberry + D-Mannose by Vital Choice. As the name implies, this formula combines a concentrated cranberry extract with 1,000mg of D-mannose per serving. Two capsules daily are recommended for general support. For more urgent use, the recommended dose increases to two capsules up to three times per day.
Mike Ventresca is owner of Vital Choice Health Store located at 9243 Sprague Road in North Royalton. The phone number is 440-885-9505. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
