By Board Certified Urologist, Dr. Yana Barbalat
Cranberry fruit has been used for generations to prevent kidney and urinary ailments. Recently, there has been an increased interest in studying cranberry and multiple well-designed studies have shown cranberry to be beneficial to urinary tract health.
But what is the difference between PACs supplements and Flowens? What are PACs anyway and why are they important?
Cranberries contains proanthocyanidins, otherwise known as PACs, which have been shown to prevent urinary tract infections. PACs are found all over the cranberry fruit, but it’s the soluble PACs, found in the juice component that seem to prevent urinary tract infections. PACs prevent the adhesion of bacteria to the bladder wall. The 36 mg Utiva PACs supplement is composed of cranberry juice powder and contain 36 mg of PACs, which is the amount needed for prevention of urinary tract infections. The American Urological Association recommends the use of cranberry for prevention of urinary tract infections, and the Utiva 36 mg PACs supplement is a great option for patients with recurrent UTIs.
Flowens, on the other hand, is a cranberry fruit powder re-engineered out of the entire cranberry to create a product for lower urinary tract health. Flowens is not a cranberry juice powder intended to prevent urinary tract infections, but rather a powder created out of the entire cranberry (skin, seeds, flesh, and juice) to improve bothersome urinary tract symptoms. There have now been a few well-designed studies that showed Flowens to be safe and effective in improving urinary flow rates and bladder emptying in men, and symptoms of urinary urgency and frequency in women.
Hope this helps! Stay tuned for more studies on cranberry to come!
