For decades, doctors have turned to antibiotics to treat urinary infections. But as the bacteria responsible for these infections are growing more resilient to medications, researchers have discovered a more natural way to keep your body infection-proof.
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a common issue, particularly for women. Antibiotics were once a reliable solution, but pathogens have evolved to survive medications, making it increasingly challenging to find drugs that can successfully eliminate them. Those troublesome pathogens might just have met their match – probiotics.
Probiotics to the Rescue
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis discovered that the optimal way to combat these bacterial issues is with other bacteria: the probiotics that naturally reside in your digestive tract. By ensuring these friendly bacteria are well-fed with fruits and vegetables, particularly cranberries, they can generate compounds that limit or eradicate the infectious agents that attach to the urinary tract.
These probiotics work in tandem with your immune system to deprive harmful bacteria of minerals and nutrients they need to survive. The gut bacteria can produce compounds that strip pathogenic bacteria of the iron they steal from the body to spread. Therefore, if you lack the right gut bacteria to create these types of compounds, you’re more susceptible to suffering from UTIs.
Fermented Foods for Gut Health
While researchers have yet to map out all the steps in this process, their investigations indicate that you can make yourself less susceptible to UTIs by consuming more fermented foods such as sauerkraut, yogurt, kimchi, and pickles, all of which are filled with probiotic bacteria. Remember to choose fermented foods found in the refrigerated section of your grocery store, as those stored on shelves have been pasteurized, a process that kills the bacteria you need. Probiotic supplements may also improve the balance of your gut bacteria.
Fruits, Vegetables and the Power of Cranberries
A diet rich in fruits and vegetables enhances your health by altering your urine, making it less acidic and further strengthening your immune system’s ability to combat UTI bacteria. The humble cranberry has a well-established reputation for helping the body fight off or avoid UTIs. There are multiple explanations for the cranberry’s effectiveness, but one widely accepted theory is that a compound in the berry adheres to the bladder and urinary tract, making it more difficult for bacteria to stick.
Building Infection-Proof Bodies
Antibiotic resistance will likely continue to rise, making a naturally infection-proof body our best defense against this threat. The less you rely on conventional antibiotics, the higher the chance that when you need them the most, they will be more effective. As with many health issues, prevention is key; avoiding pharmaceuticals from the outset is ideal for long-term well-being.
