If you are living with a spinal cord injury (SCI), you are likely aware that there is a higher risk of developing urinary tract infections. Three common reasons why people with SCI are at risk include:
- Intermittent catheterization – constant change increases the likelihood of introducing bacteria.
- Indwelling (Foley) catheters – direct pathway enables bacteria to always be present.
- Neurogenic bladder – lacking bladder control due to a brain, spinal cord or nerve problem.
UTI prevention in Spinal Cord Injury patients
These conditions are typically treated with antibiotics and patients are often given low dose antibiotics for prevention. This is currently the primary line of treatment and prevention to help minimize UTIs.
Natural Urinary Tract Health solutions for Spinal Cord Injury Patients
There have been studies showing that a natural cranberry supplement containing a concentration of 36mg Proanthocyanidins (or PACs for short) can be effective at maintaining a healthy urinary tract*. While most other cranberry supplements fail to mention the amount of PACs they contain (which usually means they do not contain enough to even warrant their mention in the ingredient list), Utiva Cranberry PACs Supplement provides a 15% concentration containing 36mg of PACs in a 240mg capsule.
Proanthocyanidins have anti-adhesion properties: they work by preventing bacteria from adhering to the urinary tract and bladder wall. This allows the bacteria to be naturally flushed out of the urinary tract*.
Utiva UTI Control Supplement for Spinal Cord Injury Patients
Community Magazine, published by Spinal Cord Injury Ontario, recently published an article featuring our very own 36mg PAC capsules which discusses UTI prevention.
“Natural products, like cranberries, can aid in reducing the number of UTI recurrences. Not all cranberry products are the same and attention should be given to those with the right amount of the active ingredient from the cranberry (Proanthocyanidins). These are still not a cure but are clinically proven to show a reduction in UTIs and can help minimize the need for prophylactic antibiotic usage.”
Dr. Leslie Carr, Staff Urologist
Sunnybrook Hospital, Toronto
Want to hear what other doctors have to say about Utiva and PACs?
