Garlic, a common folk remedy for urinary tract infections, may not only work, but also seems to be effective against strains that are antibiotic resistant, a new study shows.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are infections of any part of the urinary system, but usually occur in the bladder and urethra.

Women are at greater risk than men. The infections are painful and annoying, and serious consequences can occur if a UTI spreads to the kidneys.

UTIs are usually treated with antibiotics, but some strains are becoming drug resistant. A research team in India decided to look at whether garlic, a common home remedy for UTIs, is effective.

They found that 56 percent of 166 bacteria strains isolated from the urine of people with UTIs showed a high degree of resistance to antibiotics. However, they also found that about 82 percent of these antibiotic-resistant bacteria strains were treatable with garlic extract.

This is the first study to find that garlic extract, which is widely available in pill form at drugstores and other retailers, can effectively treat antibiotic resistant UTIs.