The article, by journalist Dani Blum, ran in The New York Times on Sept. 26 under the headline ”Pills and Powders Aim to Replace Cranberry Juice as Go-To Prevention for U.T.I.s.” It examined the trend in the market toward cranberry-based products in the market in either capsule or sachet form to replace cranberry juice, which in many cases is laden with sugar.
Article repeats tired criticisms of supplements
The article notes there is some limited evidence that these products, when properly formulated, do work to reduce the incidence of UTIs, but goes on to say that, “the studies had small numbers of participants.”
Blum quoted Dr. Erin Higgins, an OB-GYN at Cleveland Clinic, as saying, “It could be that you’re just making expensive pee.” It’s a quote of unclear provenance that has been parroted by medical professionals skeptical of any sort of supplementation for well more than a decade.
Amy Howell, PhD, of the Mariucci Center for Blueberry & Cranberry Research at Rutgers University in New Jersey, is one of the world’s foremost experts on the health effects of cranberries on UTIs. Howell, who has spent almost three decades studying berry ingredients, said the author erred by using physicians as the primary sources.
Few doctors have expertise in supplement research
Relatively few physicians really understand the role some nutrients can play in health and most have a bias against studies that don’t match the multi-center, multi-phase, billion-dollar pharmaceutical model. It’s apparent to anyone who has taken a moment to reflect on the economics of dietary supplements that such a model can’t be supported by an industry featuring modestly priced products based on unpatentable ingredients.