4. Are there any supplements I can take to stop UTIs coming back?
If you get frequent UTI, there’s some evidence that you may be able to reduce your risk by taking a daily dose of the nutritional supplement, D-mannose. This is a type of natural sugar found in some fruits. While having lots of sugary food and drinks isn’t recommended as it can encourage bacteria to grow in your urinary tract and lead to UTIs, with D-mannose it’s a different story.
Here’s why: most sugars are broken down by your body into glucose. That glucose doesn’t usually appear in your pee unless you’re diabetic or you eat or drink a lot of sugar at once. When there’s glucose in your pee this can help bacteria to grow and increase your risk of getting a UTI.
But with D-mannose, your body doesn’t break it down into glucose. Most of it passes out of your body in your pee where it’s thought to stop bacteria sticking to your urinary tract. There’s some evidence that it can help prevent recurrent UTIs in non-pregnant women.
But be aware that although it’s not an added sugar, it’s still high in sugar so if you have diabetes, check with your doctor before taking it. D-mannose is available to buy as a powder or as tablets from pharmacies and health food stores.