Cranberry Supplements

[jeffmensch]

I have read reports about Cranberry Supplements helping kidney disease? Anyone try Cranberry Supplements and helped improved ckd and eGfr? YThank you

[userotc]

My mum (ckd3) uses these to try to prevent UTIs and she rarely gets them nowadays 🤞🤞 Not sure if its helped egfr/ckd generally.

[Blackknight1989]

here is the science, it’s snake oil as most of these claims are…if that’s all it took we’d all be drinking Cranberry juice!

Similarly, the evidence supporting potential benefits of cranberry products for kidney disease is mixed. Some studies have suggested that cranberry juice may lower levels of a protein called cystatin C, which is a marker of kidney function. Other studies have shown that cranberry supplements improved kidney function in people with early-stage kidney disease. However, a review of 12 studies found no significant evidence to support the use of any cranberry product for the prevention or treatment of kidney disease

[Bassetmommer NKF Ambassador in reply to Blackknight1989]

Good to see you back Blacknight!

[Blackknight1989 in reply to Bassetmommer]

Thanks friend…I’m here often mostly lurking, but always interested…glad to see all is well with you and yours (at least what I’ve gleaned from your contributions!). As always thanks for the kind words!

[orangecity41 NKF Ambassador in reply to Blackknight1989]

Thanks for logical response.

[Blackknight1989 in reply to orangecity41]

Yes ma’am, as I’m sure you know, live with the disease 30 years you hear some whoppers! As always I appreciate the kind words!

[orangecity41 NKF Ambassador in reply to Blackknight1989]

You are welcome. I am a senior man , age 83, and was diagnosed CKD 3b when I was 77 so do not have the experience that you do.

[Blackknight1989 in reply to orangecity41]

My apologies, sir as no offense meant…after 30 years, I’m starting with the mental health issues specific to eGFR sub-20 for too long…I hope I did not offend and again apologize for “misgendering” you…that’s a lot bigger deal today than in my youth of America post Vietnam…please don’t alert the DEI police….lol!

[orangecity41 NKF Ambassador in reply to Blackknight1989]

No problem. It did not offend me.

[Bassetmommer NKF Ambassador]

Cranberry juice is good, supposedly, for prevention of UTIs Has nothing to do with kidneys.

[jeffmensch in reply to Bassetmommer]

a friend has been drinking cranberry juice and saw his eGfr go from 44 to 64

[Bassetmommer NKF Ambassador in reply to jeffmensch]

It is probably because he is more hydrated.

[Blackknight1989 in reply to jeffmensch]

Please apply some deep logical thinking….CKD affects 20-30% of the WORLDS POPULATION, that’s literally multi-BILLIONS of people, over 1M closer to 3M folks….would it not make sense that IF the answer to CKD, Low eGFR etc was as simple as DRINKING MORE CRANBERRY JUICE WED ALL BE CURED BY NOW? IF CRANBERRY JUICE COULD PRODUCE AN INCREASE OF eGFR of 45% or 20 points as your magical friend asserts why wouldn’t we all drink it every day to get the benefit your friend asserts. No science supports this gobsmacker of an urban myth. Your friend is selling snake oil, brother do 5 minutes of a google search and read it for yourself…Education is power, not doing personal self-study only harms you as a patient in the long run….

[WYOAnne NKF Ambassador]

Cranberry juice is great if you suffer from frequent UTI's. But does nothing to help CKD. Once damage is done to your kidneys, there is no reversing it. A kidney friendly diet can stabilize it, but even that only helps for awhile.

[Blackknight1989 in reply to WYOAnne]

Nailed it! Nephrons unlike liver/skin cells do not regenerate…we are all born with a finite number and that’s all we will ever receive from the Great Healer (if you believe as I do) if not that’s okay too no judgement here, plus I’m Methodist/Baptist but not Baaaptist so no judgement or attempt to convert you in my spare time…lol! What I think is so freaking awesome is the artificial kidney being developed at UCal currently…such a simple and elegant idea! Really exciting time as (FINALLY) both money and research is being funneled to our affliction!

[Halebopp]

I take cranberry supplement - not sugary juice! - for uti prevention. I’ve had no problem with uti’s for years. I’ve never heard of using cranberry for kidney disease.

[Darlenia]

My husband takes a cranberry supplement (definitely not sugary juice) to keep his diabetes-induced UTIs at a low level. He had constant uti's while on dialysis and that continued following his transplant. (He was actually turned aside for one earlier because of it.) If a uti is serious enough, it can travel up to the kidneys, infecting/damaging them. Needless to say, his transplant team, including his urologist, keep a very close eye on my hubby's situation. Some with constant utis are forced to self-cath (which he had a hard time mastering) while others take a daily antibiotic (including those with transplants). My husband 's antibiotic use led to dangerous c-diff - which is also very hard on transplants. So changes were made. We're thrilled cranberry works for now. Many modern meds (up to 40%) are on based on the chemical structures found in common natural elements - these are simply synthesized, ramped up in strength, and manufactured in quantity. That's how science often works - researchers make observations and take steps to copy and enhance. So, yes, natural supplements, including some in liquid form, can work for some situations - simply not as dramatically as prescription meds. It's clear my husband's bladder issues definitely influence his kidney labs; after all, they're interconnected. Thankfully, he's in a good place right now.