What You Drink Really Does Affect Your Bladder

By Barbara C. Bourassa

It’s common knowledge that drinking cranberry juice can help prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs). The reason: cranberry juice contains a protein that prevents bacteria such as E. coli from sticking to the urinary tract long enough to cause problems. Therefore, many medical experts suggest that women who are prone to UTIs drink cranberry juice or eat cranberries on a regular basis.

But did you know that a mug or two a day of green tea may benefit your bladder as well? If everything goes as expected, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) awards him the grant he’s hoping for, Michael Chancellor, M.D., and his colleagues at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine (UPMC) will soon begin applying their “bench top findings to the bedside” by studying whether drinking green tea can help women with urge incontinence and/or painful bladder syndrome.

This new study is a continuation of ongoing research at UPMC, exploring the link between green tea and bladder inflammation. The results of an earlier study, released last May, revealed that “herbal supplements from green tea could be a treatment option for various bladder conditions that are caused by injury or inflammation,” explains Dr. Chancellor. “We’ve always wondered why there are far fewer people in Asia with painful bladder syndrome,” he continues. “We can’t say for sure why, and we can’t make a consumer recommendation because it’s not proven. But we do know that green tea is very safe and very high in antioxidants—which make it to the bladder. Furthermore, promising research has shown it can block bladder inflammation.”

Although both cranberry juice and green tea are high in antioxidants, and they may both end up on the recommended beverage list for women suffering from a variety of bladder leakage issues, they actually work in different ways. Researchers at the Marucci Center for Blueberry Cranberry Research at Rutgers University in Chatsworth, New Jersey have identified several compounds in cranberries called proanthocyanidins (PACs). While there are PACs in other foods, such as chocolate and grape juice, the PACs in cranberries work differently: they form a Teflon-like coating on the bacteria, blocking them from sticking to the urinary tract.

Green tea, on the other hand, contains three different compounds, called catechins, which possess powerful anti-inflammatory properties. “There’s a huge amount of catechins in green tea, and researchers are finding that the protective properties of green tea can be traced to the anti-inflammatory properties of these compounds,” says Shirley Pantoliano, M.S., R.D., a registered dietician and licensed yoga teacher living in Boxford, Massachusetts. “In fact,” she adds, “A Japanese study found that one of these catechins, called EGCG, may inhibit the release of histamines.” The body produces histamines when it encounters an allergen; histamines typically bring on allergic reactions such as itching or sneezing.

Although the research is still ongoing, there’s one recommendation that most experts feel confident about—a cup or two of green tea a day probably can’t hurt, and it may prove to be beneficial in more ways than one. Keep in mind that green tea contains small amounts of caffeine, which can serve as an irritant to some individuals with bladder leakage. Therefore, consider speaking with your doctor before bringing green tea into your diet.