Eating Meat Might Give You a UTI, Research Says

Mar. 15, 2025

Stock image of raw meat.Photo:Getty

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Eating meat may increase your chances of getting aurinary tract infection, new research shows, as rates of the infection are sharply rising.

There was a “2.4 timesgrowth in deathsfrom 1990 to 2019” from urinary tract infections, according to a study published in theNational Library of Medicine.

Part of the problem is an increase in antibiotic-resistant bacteria, most commonlyE. coli, on meat— which, when eaten, is passed through feces and then introduced into the urinary tract while wiping, a report inNewsweeksays.

Stock image of meat being cooked on a grill.Getty

“We’re used to the idea thatfoodborne E. colican cause outbreaks of diarrhea, but the concept of foodborne E. coli causing urinary tract infections seems strange — that is, until you recognize that raw meat is often riddled with the E. coli strains that cause these infections" Lance B. Price, a professor of environmental and occupational health and the founder and co-director of the GW Antibiotic Resistance Action Center, toldNewsweekin a statement.

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The report cited a study from George Washington University’s Milken Institute School of Public Health, which said that “E. colicauses approximately 6 to 8 million UTIs in the U.S. annually, as many as 480,000 to 640,000 extraintestinal FZEC [which stands for foodborne zoonotic E. coli] infections could occur in the U.S. each year.”

Women have a greater risk of developing a UTI over men, theMayo Clinicsays, and while it can be “painful and annoying” when it’s limited to the bladder, “serious health problemscan result if a UTI spreadsto the kidneys.”

Stock image of a woman in pain.Getty

Signs that it’s spread to the kidneys can include back or side pain, a high fever, shaking, chills, nausea, and vomiting.

There are ways to lower your risk of a UTI, the Mayo Clinic says, which include wiping from front to back, staying hydrated, and urinating after sexual intercourse — as “being sexually active tends to lead to more UTIs.”

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“This does not mean that if you eat meat, you are going to get a UTI, but it could increase the likelihood that you may end up colonized with a multi-drug resistant organism.”

source: people.com