Question:

My Naturopathic Doctor recommended probiotics to help prevent urinary tract infections. Does it really help?

Answer:

As strange as it may sound, yes, probiotics can help prevent UTIs (urinary tract infrections). Numerous observation and intervention studies have shown a positive effect for various species and strains of probiotics on urinary tract health (most studies were conducted in women and children). However, while some have shown a positive effect for probiotics, others have not. For this reason, the picture is not entirely clear and I believe more work in this area would help clear things up.

Since most UTIs occur in women, I’ll narrow the following discussion just to women. For over 30 years, urologists have recognized that in females, urinary pathogens (e.g. E. coli) almost always cause infection through migration from the rectum, to the vagina, and then to the urethra and bladder. Likewise, the Lactobacillus bacteria (the predominant bacteria in the vagina of healthy women), spread from the rectum to the vagina and form a protective barrier that protects the urinary tract from invading pathogenic bacteria. Similarly, this is how oral Lactobacillus probiotics can also help prevent bacterial vaginosis.

So would I recommend probiotics to prevent UTIs? Most definitely! Considering the many benefits of probiotics outside of urinary tract and vaginal health, I see no reason to wait for further studies before making a recommendation.

Just note however, for an active UTI, the first product to reach for would be a product like Inno-Vite’s UTI Protect™.

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