A UTI or urinary tract infection is a common bacterial infection that occurs in your urinary system including the bladder, kidney, ureters, and urethra. There are 3 types of UTIs with different yet similar symptoms. With Urethritis, the infection is in your urethra and you’d experience pain with urinating and often discharge. Pyelonephritis, the infection is in your kidneys and you will have symptoms of pain in your back and sides, fever, chills, nausea, and vomiting.

Then there’s Cystitis, this UTI is when your bladder is infected often occurring with pain in your lower belly and during urination, the sensations of needing to go more frequently, and cloudy or bloody urine. UTIs are more common in women. Common treatment and prevention involves good personal hygiene, encouraging a strong immune system, a balanced hormonal system, antibiotics, and a healthy diet. Although antibiotics are more commonly used, more and more people are learning that these same antibiotics can be found in probiotic rich foods. Maybe you have allergies to antibiotics or they are unavailable where you are, whatever the reason you’ll be happy to know there are home remedies for UTIs.

These have been used for centuries all over the world and scientific medical studies have proven the following foods to help prevent, reduce side-effects of UTIs at home:

1. Cranberry juice
There’s a lot of conflicting information out there about if cranberry juice has been proven to help with UTIs. However, nothing changes that the Indians have used cranberries and cranberry juice to aid with UTIs for hundreds of years. The key is the drink unconcentrated and unsweetened cranberry juice regularly. Pure cranberry juice has high levels of proanthocyanidins, which help make it harder for bacteria to plant itself onto the walls of your urinary tract also making it easier for your body to flush out the bacteria as it is intended to. Dilute about 1/4 cups of unsweetened cranberry juice in water and ingest 3-4 times a day.

2. Probiotic-rich foods
Probiotics are living microorganisms that naturally thrive in the digestive tract. Foods that are rich in probiotics are foods like yogurt, kimchi, Sauerkraut, miso, fresh dill pickles, tempeh, and cheeses such as gouda, cheddar, and mozzarella. Incorporating probiotic-rich foods into your diet every day promotes healthy digestion which includes your urinary tract.

3. Plant-based proteins
Proteins are essential to blood sugar levels and immunity support and growth. About 15-30 grams of plant-based protein per meal is recommended. With a strong immunity system, a UTI doesn’t stand a chance. Plant-based proteins include foods such as beans (lentils, chickpea, etc), peanuts, almonds, tofu, and edamame.

4. Water
This one should be common sense but a lot of people don’t know that drinking enough water helps prevent UTIs from happening in the first place. The more water you consume the more diluted and flushed out your bladder stays lowering the chance of bacteria growth tremendously!

In conclusion, there are many home remedies for UTIs and these are only a few. Keeping your immunity up and eating some of the listed foods above will help decrease the chances you are likely to develop a UTI also, relieving symptoms.