Can’t shake your UTI? Here’s the simple reason and a smarter fix

Most cranberry products don’t “fail” because cranberry is a myth. They fail because you’re not getting enough of the right stuff to make the germs let go.

Understanding how Cranberry un-sticks the infection

UTIs start when bad bugs (usually E. coli) stick to your bladder wall. If they can’t stick, they get washed out when you urinate. Imagine the bacteria have tiny Velcro hooks. Cranberries’ special plant compounds (called PACs) act like a slippery spray on those hooks and the bladder surface. With less grip, the infecting bacteria slide off and your next urination helps flush them away. Cranberry, therefore, isn’t an antibiotic. It doesn’t “kill;” it un-sticks.

Choose the dose that actually does something

Clinical research points to a treatment threshold of at least 30mg PACs per day - that’s proanthocyanidins (PACs) measured with the BL-DMAC method (not just “cranberry mg” on a label). Below that, anti-adhesion in urine is inconsistent. In plain English: sub-dose = slim results.

Why most bottles miss the mark

Most products in SA land contain between 2 and 25 mg PACs per serving, which is under the target. And yes, it’s maddeningly hard to tell, because unless a label shows “% PAC (BL-DMAC)”, you can’t do the maths. Quick rule: PAC mg = extract mg × (%PAC BL-DMAC ÷ 100). Example: 240 mg extract at 15% PAC → 36 mg PAC.

What makes Probitec’s approach different

Probitec UT-Cran uses Anthocran® Phytosome®, a standardised cranberry extract delivered in a lecithin “Phytosome” to help its polyphenols disperse and reach the place that matters most - in your urine/urinary tract. It’s designed around the full spectrum of cranberry actives (not just PACs), because many helpful compounds are PAC metabolites created by your microbiome. That’s key to the “don’t let E. coli stick” effect.

“Less PACs, same activity” (why formulation matters)

In a double-blind crossover study, researchers found >40 cranberry-derived compounds in urine after Anthocran® Phytosome®, including valerolactones and urine samples showed anti-adhesion activity against UTI-causing E. coli (and even Candida). Remarkably, Phytosome delivered similar anti-adhesion despite a lower nominal PAC per capsule versus an unformulated extract, supporting the idea that delivery beats raw milligrams.

Hitting the proven dose

Probitec’s formula provides 36 mg PACs/day (BL-DMAC), meeting that dose-treatment level threshold that many products don’t reach. If your past cranberry supplements didn’t help, this is often why.

Beyond cranberry: a smarter supplement stack

The product pairs cranberry with Lactobacillus probiotics (for vaginal, urinary and microbiome support) plus folate 4th-generation (highly bioavailable and stable form of the active folate), vitamin B12, vitamin D3 and prebiotics - a practical, all-in-one way to eliminate the infection, support vaginal health, whilst boosting immunity and energy.

Information provided by Probitec.