Urinary tract infections are a painful condition that will affect as many as 50 percent of all women during their lifetime, but incorporating certain foods and beverages -- such as blueberries and blueberry juice -- may be helpful for preventing UTIs.
Please talk with your doctor about our products the next time you have a UTI. We offer wild Maine blueberries grown on our farm ORGANICALLY since 2002.
Check out our Organic Blueberry Powder. This is a 100% organic dehydrated wild Maine Blueberry fruit that is concentrated. We do not sweeten it or add sulfites or preservatives to it. Use 2 tablespoons to replace 1/2 cup of blueberries.
If you live in Maine, and are near Brewer, Maine, please visit Tiller & Rye Grocery Store who carry our powders now!
We also offer Organic Blueberry Tea as "Sipping Blue Tea".
We make it available as loose tea and tea bags. We use the fruit AND leaves of the wild Maine blueberry plant to almost double the amount of antioxidants in our tea when we compared it to our fresh blueberries.
Here is some more information on UTI's......
Urinary Tract Infection Basics
Though urinary tract infections can be caused by a number of factors, they often result from the transfer of Escherichia coli into the urinary tract -- which can occur when wiping from back to front after a bowel movement. Urinary tract infections cause pain during urination, the need to urinate more often and lower abdominal cramping. When left untreated, UTIs may cause serious long-term consequences, including kidney disease.
Blueberries for Prevention
According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, blueberries may prevent urinary tract infections. A 1998 study published in "The New England Journal of Medicine" suggests that specific compounds found in blueberries -- called proanthocyanidins -- prevent bacteria from sticking to the walls of the urinary tract. Johns Hopkins Medicine notes that large amounts of vitamin C also inhibit the growth of bacteria in the urinary tract. One cup of raw blueberries provides about 15 milligrams of vitamin C -- or 20 percent of the daily intake the Institute of Medicine recommends for women. (Our powder is a concentrated organic wild Maine blueberry. Organic fruit has more anthocyanins than non-organic blueberries and we concentrate the fruit by dehydrating it. 2 tablespoons of our powder is about 1/2 cup of fruit.)
Blueberry Juice Offers Similar Benefits
Even if you choose not to eat blueberries, you may still be able to harness the benefits of this fruit by drinking it as a juice. As with raw blueberries, blueberry juice is a rich source of vitamin C and proanthocyanidins. The extra fluids provided by blueberry juice may also be effective when it comes to flushing bacteria from the urinary tract. Choose unsweetened blueberry juice for optimal results. (Keep in mind our Organic Blueberry Tea and Powders which can be mixed in smoothies or yogurt!)
Frequent UTIs
If you develop a urinary tract infection despite eating blueberries or drinking blueberry juice, seek medical attention. Getting UTIs more than three times in a year may be a sign of a serious underlying health condition that requires specialized treatment. Let your doctor know you are consuming blueberries and blueberry juice to avoid potential medication interactions.