Blueberries are bright, delicious, and easy to use for maintaining the health and vitality of your urinary tract naturally. These small berries are packed with antioxidants, vitamin C, fiber and plant compounds that make them a good choice for a diet that is healthy for your bladder.

10 Blueberry Benefits for Preventing UTIs Naturally

The unique thing about blueberries is the many easy ways to eat them. They can be eaten raw, incorporated into smoothies, served for breakfast or combined with cranberries as an added source of berry nutrition. In addition to proper hydration and well-balanced meals, blueberries can be a refreshing addition to your daily urinary wellness regimen.

Key Takeaways

  • Blueberries are high in anthocyanins, a natural pigment that gives them their deep blue color.
  • They play a role in urinary tract wellness in a healthy, preventative healthcare lifestyle.
  • It’s easy to enjoy blueberries fresh, frozen, blended, juiced or incorporated into meals.
  • Pairing blueberries with cranberries can be a smart way to add variety to a urinary-supportive diet.

Understanding Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)

A UTI occurs when bacteria get into the urinary system and multiply. UTIs may occur in the bladder, the urethra, the ureters or the kidneys, though many of the more common infections occur in the lower urinary tract.

Symptoms generally consist of burning while urinating, more frequent urination, cloudy urine, lower abdominal pressure or pain in the pelvis. UTIs are also very common among women, with the National Library of Medicine noting that the lifetime prevalence of at least one symptomatic UTI in women is estimated to be over 50%.

That’s why many people favor developing daily practices which are beneficial to urinary tract wellness. Adequate hydration, foods high in antioxidants, and incorporating fruits such as blueberries can make it more natural and fun.

Can Blueberries Help Support Urinary Tract Health?

Blueberries are an aid to a urinary support diet because they are rich in anthocyanins and polyphenols. Such compounds offer antioxidants, and this is one of the primary reasons blueberries are associated with daily wellbeing.

A study published in PubMed has confirmed anti-adhesive and anti-biofilm results for blueberry extract against a highly adherent bacterial strain. This is intriguing to urinary tract health because one of the steps is the bacteria’s attachment when it chooses to reside in the urinary system.

The easiest way to think about blueberries is they’re uncomplicated, delicious, and can make a diet that is friendly to the kidneys a bit more manageable. Eating blueberries is not a hard-to-swallow rule of good health–it can be a pleasurable daily routine.

10 Easy Ways to Add Blueberries to Your Diet

1. Eat Them Fresh

Eating some fresh blueberries is probably the easiest way to use this natural remedy for clearing up an infection in your urinary tract. Simply pick some up from your local fresh produce shop and snack on them while you’re driving home. Fresh blueberries will not only help you treat the infection, but will also help you load up on vitamin C, vitamin B6 and more.

2. Frozen Blueberries

If you do not have a shop nearby that sells fresh produce, then you can pick up a pack of frozen blueberries at your local grocery store. Most grocery stores should have these in stock. There are many different ways to use frozen blueberries – you can even wait until they are unfrozen and use them as a snack.

3. Blueberry Smoothie

Some people may not be into eating blueberries fresh, so a smoothie might be a better way of consuming these healthy fruit. Simply combine some probiotic yogurt, banana and blueberries into the blender and press “blend”. You can drink some immediately and store some for later.

Blueberry Smoothie

Blueberry Smoothie

4. Blueberry Salad

A tasty blueberry salad could also be a great way to use the goodness of blueberries to treat your infection. Simply mix some blueberries with salad greens, walnuts and feta cheese. Top with some salad dressing and you’re good to go. If you would like to spice it up, mix in a couple of diced apples and some chopped green onion.

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5. Juiced Blueberries

Some people prefer to eat blueberries as a fruit and others prefer to drink it as juice. If you’re one of those that prefer the juice version, then pick up some fresh blueberry juice at your local grocery store. Try to look for something that doesn’t contain too much sugar. You can also add some fresh blueberries to a juice and make blueberry juice yourself.

6. Blueberry Ice Pops

It’s incredibly warm outside and you just learned that you have a urinary tract infection. Not to worry – there’s a way to take care of both problems at the same time. Simply whip up a batch of blueberry ice pops. All you need is blueberries, water, coconut milk, almond milk and a natural sweetener.

7. Add Blueberries To Your Oatmeal

Oatmeal has many health benefits for the human body. It contains manganese, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, iron, folate or folic acid, vitamins and more. Now you can make your morning bowl of oatmeal a powerful treatment for your urinary tract infection as well by simply adding some blueberries as a topping.

Blueberries Oatmeal

Blueberries Oatmeal

8. Make Some Blueberry Sauce

Another excellent way to get some blueberries into your body is to make a blueberry sauce. The sauce can be used for just about anything – pour it into some yogurt, over your ice cream or on top of a pancake stack. To make a batch of blueberry sauce, you’ll need some blueberries, water, orange juice, almond extract, cinnamon and a few other ingredients.

9. Blueberry Chocolate

If you enjoy eating chocolate, then you might want to make some chocolate covered blueberries. To add more antioxidants to the mix, use organic dark chocolate instead of regular chocolate. Simply melt some dark chocolate chips, mix in some almonds and pour the melted mixture on top blueberries.

10. Blueberry And Cranberry Combo

Finally, you can make the ultimate combo for treating urinary tract infections at home by simply mixing some blueberries and cranberries in a bowl and snacking on them throughout the day. Cranberries are also high in antioxidants and are one of the most popular home remedies for this problem. Mixing these two powerful foods together will give you potent results.

Conclusion

With urinary tract infections being very common in women and also possible in men, it is vital to have some home remedies on hand at all times. If the problem develops, you’d want to take care of it as soon as possible to avoid the infection from reaching your kidneys.

Blueberries are a good fruit to have on hand for anyone trying to make healthier choices for a more bladder-friendly lifestyle. They offer flavor, color and natural day-to-day wellness support in a single compact and effective berry.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does eating blueberries help UTIs?

For the best results from blueberries, use them for urinary tract support and prevention. They are a healthy daily food choice and can be part of a balanced routine for bladder health.

Which fruit is better for UTIs – blueberry or cranberry?

Cranberries have a strong research when it comes to UTI prevention, and blueberries provide beneficial antioxidants, fiber, and anthocyanins. Mixing the two can be a wonderful urinary wellness treatment.

Does Blueberry juice help with your urinary tract?

Yes, unsweetened blueberry juice may be a good choice. A refreshing homemade blueberry juice made with water, lemon or mint is a great way to get blueberry nutrients.

What’s the recommended daily quantity of blueberries?

A helpful dosage for most individuals is about ½ cup to 1 cup per day. They can be eaten fresh, frozen, pureed, or incorporated into food items.

Do men have UTIs?

UTIs can also affect guys. While they’re more prevalent in females, men can benefit from hydration, a balanced diet, and urinary-supportive fruits and vegetables such as blueberries.

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2 Sources

We review published medical research in respected scientific journals to arrive at our conclusions about a product or health topic. This ensures the highest standard of scientific accuracy.

[1] Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections — NCBI Bookshelf: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557479/
[2] Anti-Adhesive Activity of a Vaccinium corymbosum Blueberry Extract — PubMed : https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33113420/
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Sam Kramer, MS, RD, CSSGB, LDN, CISSN

Sam Kramer is a Registered Dietitian, Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist, Six Sigma Green Belt Certified, and Certified Sports Nutritionis