American Urological Association (AUA) finds that Cranberries may prove quite helpful to avoid urinary tract infections (UTIs). So don’t forget to consume a good amount of cranberry sauce on this Thanksgiving.

Cranberries have been used as a natural remedy for some UTIs, as they have acidic contents which can be helpful to hold back the growth of bacteria in the urinary tract, the AUA says.

In urinary tract infections bacteria go through the urinary tract and begin to grow in the urethra and make urethra lining irritated and red. If they are not checked, they can move to bladder and kidneys. Infections in Kidneys are considered quite dangerous as they can become the cause of a life-threatening condition known as bacteremia.

Urinary tract infections become the cause of over 8 million doctor visits in the US every year. The patients often have to experience symptoms like painful urination, stinky urine and blood in the urine.

According to AUA, blood in the urine or hematuria can also become the cause of even worse and people who notice blood in the urine, must immediately visit their doctors.

Though cranberries are helpful, but not for everyone and many patients can avoid the disease using doctor prescribed antibiotics and good hydration. Another way to avoid the risk is to make sure that your bladder has got completely empty when passing urine, AUA says.