Many women are now turning to natural treatment options and prevention methods like D-Mannose and Cranberry supplements. In this article, you can learn more about these important ingredients.

Fast results with D-mannose

D-mannose is a kind of naturally-occurring simple sugar related to glucose. As reference, glucose is a simple sugar found in many carbohydrates like bread, rice, fruit, sugar, and milk. D-mannose and glucose have the same molecular formula of C6H12O6. D-mannose is found most prominently in cranberries, apples, mangos, oranges, peaches, aloe vera, and even seaweed.

One of the most popular studies on D-mannose was published in 2016 in the European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences. This pilot study came out of the Department of Gynecological Obstetrics and Urologic Sciences at University Sapienza of Rome. (https://www.europeanreview.org/article/11121)

This pilot study administered a D-mannose compound twice daily for 3 days and then once a day for 10 days. The researchers monitored patient symptoms, and over the next 6 months, a random set of patients continued to receive prophylaxis, or action is taken to prevent UTIs. After completing the 13-day D-mannose treatment, patients saw a significant improvement in the majority of symptoms! The study reports, “D-mannose seemed to have had fast and significant positive effect on UTIs’ resolution and quality of life improvement.

Cranberry is an enhancer of antibiotic efficacy in cystitis

Cranberries have been linked to preventing UTIs. Cranberries are filled with an antioxidant called proanthocyanidins (PAC). PACs reduce the ability for bacteria to stick to the wall of a urinary tract and thus reduce chances of developing UTIs. Thus, if you are sensitive to UTIs, adding cranberry to your diet could be beneficial.

According to Dr. Plácido Llaneza, gynecologist and president of the Spanish Association for the Study of Menopause (AEEM), combining the antibiotic treatment of urinary infections with dietary preparations of cranberry “increases the effectiveness of the antibiotic.” This is because the cranberry is rich in proanthocyanidins (PAC), polysaccharides that minimize and inhibit the activity of the bacterium Escherichia Coli (E. coli) in the bladder and urinary tract, responsible for most of the recurrent urinary infections, such as cystitis.

D-mannose and Cranberry are often very effective as preventive treatment. D-mannose binds to E. Coli / P-type, cleaning the bladder and urethra walls of bacteria. Cranberry contains tannins that prevent E. coli bacteria from adhering to the bladder, preventing UTIs. The two have different mechanisms of action but act synergistically increasing the effectiveness and speed of results in UTIs

These are some prevention tips and lifestyle changes that the Cleveland Urological Clinic specialized in Recurrent Urinary Infection suggests to its patients:

Practice good hygiene:

Prevent UTIs by practicing good personal hygiene. This is very important for women. The urethra in women is much shorter than in men, it is easier for E. coli bacteria to move from the rectum into the body. It is recommended to wipe from front to back after defecating. Good hygiene practices should be used during the menstrual cycle to avoid infection. Change your sanitary pads and tampons frequently and do not use feminine deodorants, this helps prevent urinary infections.

Drink plenty of fluids:

Drink plenty of fluids especially in your daily routine, to help flush extra bacteria from your urinary tract. It is recommended to drink six to eight glasses of water a day.

Change your urination habits

– Urination plays an important role in killing bacteria. Urine is a waste product and every time you empty your bladder you are eliminating this waste. Frequent urination reduces the risk of developing infection, especially if you have a history of frequent urinary infections. Avoid liquids and foods that can irritate your bladder, such as alcohol, citrus juices, caffeinated drinks, and spicy foods. Try to urinate before and after having sex. This helps kill any bacteria that may have gotten in during intercourse. You can also wash the genital area with warm water before having sex. Don’t take a shower. Many doctors do not recommend this practice.

Change your birth control method:

Some women are at higher risk of developing a UTI if they use a diaphragm for birth control. Talk to your healthcare provider about other birth control options.

Use water-based lubricants during sex:

If you experience vaginal dryness and use a lubricant during sex, use one water-based. Avoid using spermicides if you have frequent urinary infections. If you are a postmenopausal woman, your doctor may prescribe a vaginal cream that contains estrogen. This helps reduce the risk of developing a UTI by changing the pH of the vagina.

Avoid tight clothing:

This can help you stay dry, preventing bacteria from growing in your urinary tract. Only wear cotton underwear. It will prevent extra moisture from being trapped around the urethra.

Use a Dietary Supplements:

Over-the-counter supplements are also available for UTIs. They are recommended for people who have frequent UTIs as another way to prevent them. Talk to your healthcare provider before you start taking any supplement and ask if it might be a good option for you.

Finally, if you have been caught in the terrible cycle of UTIs and/or if you frequently get UTIs, then you understand how terrible the cycle can be. Use the prevention to avoid UTIs in the future.

If you are prone to Recurrent Urinary Infections, this reading can surely help you find an effective solution to overcome this horrible condition.

Remember that you are not alone, expert urologists, doctors and the creators of youT.I. work hard to help people who are prone to recurrent UTIs return to a normal life.

Phase 1
When bacteria find their way into the urinary tract, you can get a UTI.

Once bacteria enter the urethra, they can travel up the urinary tract and multiply. As their numbers rise, it triggers an inflammatory response in the body, which results in the symptoms you associate with a UTI. The higher the bacteria move in the urinary tract, the more severe the infection becomes.The most common bacteria in UTIs is E. coli, a stubborn pathogen responsible of most Urinary Tract Infections.

Phase 2
You take antibiotics

Effective antibiotics can beat the infection faster. The issue with antibiotics is that antibiotics wipe out the “bad bacteria” with the “good bacteria” also, creating an imbalance that puts you at higher risk of recurrent UTIs and other issues, like BV (Bacterial Vaginosis) and yeast infections.The recommendation to quickly rebuild the bacterial flora with “good bacteria” is to supplement your nutrition with Lactobacilli such as those contained in youT.I. These two probiotics are part of the good bacterial flora of the bladder and urethra and will help you fight harmful bacteria like E. Coli. You can also find these nutrients in foods such as yogurt among others. You can take YOUTI once your antibiotic treatment is finished, this will allow you to break the infectious cycle and help you to keep your bladder clean of undesirable harmful bacteria.

Phase 3
You’re more vulnerable to infections

With your immune system weakened, new bacteria or old bacteria that escape antibiotics using biofilm* can multiply out of control and trigger another UTI.
(*Biofilm is a protective shield bacteria form, which keeps them hidden in the urinary tract and safe from antibiotics and the immune system.)Two ingredients in youT.I., D-Mannose and Cranberry Extract will protect you from Biofilm effectively because the two by different mechanisms of action cut the adherence of bacteria to the wall of the bladder and urethra and cause the bacteria to be eliminated with the urinary flow

Drinking plenty of water may be one of the easiest and most effective ways of preventing UTIs. Plenty of water and frequent urinate reduces the amount of time that urine remains in the bladder. It also helps prevent bacteria from moving up the urethra to the bladder. This helps to flush the bacteria that causes UTIs and reduces the amount of time they have to attach to the wall of the urethra and bladder.

A constant or frequent flow of water through the urinary tract also helps keep the pH of urine in the normal range and therefore discourages the growth of the bacteria who cannot thrive under normal pH conditions.

Proper hydration also keeps the epithelial cells that line the urinary tract walls healthy and more resistant to infection by bacteria. Epithelial cells, like others in the body, require very specific amounts of fluid both inside and outside of cell walls in order to maintain a healthy fluid equilibrium and general health. This same process helps maintain the health of immune cells near the site of a possible infection.

As you can see, a commitment to proper hydration can play an important role in preventing UTIs in several ways and is an easy way to avoid the uncomfortable symptoms that can sideline you for days, and even the more serious conditions that can cause greater harm.

So, drink plenty of water and know that it…

1. Helps to flush bacteria from the urinary tract.
2. Helps to keep urine within a normal pH range, which discourages bacterial growth.
3. Keeps all cells hydrated, which is especially important to the epithelial cells that line the urinary tract.
4. Helps keep immune cells hydrated.
5. Reduces amount of time urine remains inside the bladder.
6. Helps prevent bacteria from moving up the urethra to the bladder.

The decision to take antibiotics or natural supplement can be complicated, especially when UTIs occur often. Antibiotics often cause acute intestinal discomfort and lead to the depletion of important probiotics that help you digest food and maintain a healthy GI tract. Also, antibiotic resistance can cause the medications to become less effective for the treatment of UTIs and also other bacterial infections, which can make you more susceptible to resistant strains and leave you with fewer tools to combat life-threatening illnesses. Therefore, antibiotics may be considered tools of last resort when treating recurring urinary tract infections. It may be wise to use them only when other options have not been effective.

Specific natural supplements have been shown to help prevent UTIs even in the most resistant cases and have little-to-no side effects. These include D-mannose, cranberry extract, probiotics/prebiotics and Vitamin C.

D-mannose helps prevent certain kinds of bacteria like E. coli from attaching to the walls of the bladder and lower urinary tract. The nutrient is chemically attracted to compounds called lectins which bacteria also uses to attach itself to the walls of the urinary tract. Once D-mannose occupies the lectins, they are unable to attach to the wall of the urinary tract, the bacteria are flushed out of the body through urination.

Cranberry extract also helps to prevent harmful bacteria from attaching to cell walls, but it does so through another process. Without the ability to attach, bacteria cannot cause a UTI.

Since most pathogenic bacteria that cause urogenital infections originate in the rectum and travel to the perineal area and then on to the vagina, intestinal probiotics such as L. rhamnosus, L. acidophilus, and L. fermentes reside in these areas may help to prevent bacterial infections there. Prebiotics such as FOS (fructooligosaccharides) stimulate microflora, especially probiotics, by providing basic nutrition and energy for their health and propagation.

Vitamin C can specifically help in the prevention of UTIs through various modes of action such as its ability to alter the pH of urine to create unfavorable conditions for bacteria to survive. It also causes the reduction of urinary nitrites to more benign compounds such as reactive nitrogen oxides.

If you desire to avoid the often serious side effects caused by antibiotics, and prefer to maintain a natural health lifestyle, these five nutrients may be the most effective and natural way to avoid UTIs.

Urinary tract infections are the most common form of urinary tract discomfort. In fact, 50% of women experience UTIs at some point in their lives, and many have persistent and recurring episodes.

In order to avoid the most uncomfortable and serious symptoms of UTIs, it is critical to have very early detection. But, a challenge of early diagnosis is that several of the early symptoms are often similar to symptoms of other health conditions such as HSV, HPV and vaginitis. For example, painful or burning urination may be caused by these conditions, and so it’s important to consider the totality of symptoms. If you have an elevated body temperature along with other symptoms, then you may not be experiencing HPV or HSV, because they are not common symptoms of either of these conditions. If you are experiencing a frequent need to urinate and are producing very little urine, then you may be able to eliminate vaginitis. Fatigue, frustration and irritation can be symptoms of a UTI, but they are also common to many other conditions such as stress, overwork and psychological disorders of course. It’s therefore important to consider whether the urine is discolored or has an unusual odor.

To determine whether you may be experiencing a UTI, look for at least three of the following possible symptoms.

1. Painful or burning urination.
2. Frequent need to urinate without producing normal amounts of urine.
3. Discolored urine.
4. Urine with a strong odor.
5. Elevated body temperature.
6. Fatigue, frustration or irritation.

If you conclude that you may be at the early stages of a UTI, you may consider the use of several very effective nutritional ingredients to help you avoid the development of a more serious case. These include D-Mannose, cranberry extract, Vitamin C and probiotics/prebiotics. They can help create unfavorable conditions for the bacteria that cause UTIs, help prevent the bacteria from attaching to urinary tract and help flush them from the system.

Cranberry extract has a proven track record in supporting urinary health. Beginning in the 1980’s scientific studies have shown the ability of cranberry juice and cranberry extract to prevent the attachment of E. coli, the primary bacteria that causes UTIs, to uroepithelial cells on the walls of the urinary tract. And, without the ability to attach, bacteria cannot cause a UTI.

However, the benefits of cranberry extract may be boosted by the addition of other nutrients that have different modes of action such as D-Mannose, probiotics/prebiotics and Vitamin C.

D-Mannose

D-mannose is a simple sugar found in many fruits, vegetables, and plants that also helps prevent certain kinds of bacteria like E. coli from attaching to the walls of the bladder and lower urinary tract, but it does so in another process. D-Mannose is chemically attracted to compounds called lectins which bacteria also uses to attach itself to the walls of the urinary tract. Once D-mannose occupies the lectins, they are unable to attach to the wall of the urinary tract, the bacteria are flushed out of the body through urination.

Probiotics/Prebiotics

Pathogenic bacteria that cause most of the urogenital infections come from the rectum to the perineal area and then on to the vagina. Intestinal probiotics such as L. rhamnosus, L. acidophilus, and L. fermentes reside in the colon, perineal area and vagina, and help to prevent bacterial infections in those areas. Prebiotics such as FOS (fructooligosaccharides) stimulate microflora, especially probiotics, by providing basic nutrition and energy for their health and propagation.

Vitamin C

In addition to the everyday nutritional value that Vitamin C gives us, it can specifically help with the prevention of UTIs. Various modes of action for Vitamin C have been studied and the conclusions are that the nutrient may help prevent UTIs in multiple ways. One mode of action is its ability to alter the pH of urine to create unfavorable conditions for bacteria to survive. Another is to cause the reduction of urinary nitrites to more benign compounds such as reactive nitrogen oxides.

It’s clear that the addition of specific other nutrients may provide a more complete solution to avoiding UTIs than cranberry extract alone. Adding D-mannose, probiotics, prebiotics and Vitamin C significantly increases the benefits of a urinary health supplement and helps provide protection from recurring UTIs.