Medically CitedOverview
Dubbed by many the supreme superfruit, cranberry packs powerful antioxidants, dietary fiber, and multiple nutrients including 37% of the daily value of vitamin C. Boosting your intake of this sweet and sour berry could offer multiple benefits to the heart, immune system, digestive tract, and more, and it is known for its ability to support urinary tract health.
Board-certified registered dietician Candace O’Neill, RD, LDN suggests that “keeping cranberries in your fridge or your freezer is an easy way to add in those antioxidants and help improve your health all year long.”
You can add this fruit to smoothies, fruit salad, and other recipes, make fresh cranberry juice, or take a superfood or cranberry supplement to boost your intake. Should you incorporate this potent superfruit into your life? Read on to learn the multiple health properties and advantages of cranberry.
What is Cranberry?
Cranberry is a fruit that is native to North America, and it was first named ‘crane berries’ by early settlers to Canada who thought the blossoms resembled crane heads. Considered a potent superfood, cranberry is rich in nutrients and bioactive antioxidant compounds such as anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, and polyphenols.
A close cousin to the blueberry, this fruit has dietary fiber and contains iron, potassium, calcium, and vitamins A and K. In addition, it is known for its rich vitamin C content. Consuming more of this fruit or taking a cranberry supplement supports urinary tract health, and could prevent infections (UTIs) according to some research.
In addition, the potent antioxidants, nutrients, and anti-inflammatory agents in this fruit help strengthen the immune system, enhance heart health, balance blood sugar, and rejuvenate the skin, and its high fiber content supports healthy digestion.
If you’re not yet convinced that this superfruit may offer significant advantages to your health and well-being, let’s look at each of the cranberry benefits in detail.
Health Benefits of Cranberry
With its impressive profile of nutrients, antioxidants, and bioactive agents, taking in more cranberries offers a wealth of potential advantages. These are some of the top health benefits:
Supports Urinary Tract Health
Helping to prevent UTIs is the most talked about potential cranberry benefit. Does the evidence back it up? The antioxidants in cranberries support the urinary tract by lowering oxidative stress and repairing cellular damage.
In addition, this fruit has bioactive compounds called proanthocyanidins, which help prevent E-coli bacteria from binding to the bladder walls. While it may not heal an existing infection without added treatment, a research review in Frontiers in Nutrition found a correlation between daily cranberry intake and UTI prevention
Helps Strengthen the Immune System
Rich in antioxidants and bioactive compounds like anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins, cranberries kill free radicals and lower oxidative stress, helping to promote repair and healing, decrease body-wide inflammation, and strengthen the immune system.
This may help prevent illness and decrease the symptoms and severity of colds. A 10-week study published in Nutrition Journal found that daily consumption of a cranberry drink enhanced T-cell proliferation and helped reduce cold and flu symptoms in subjects.
Supports Heart Health
Evidence suggests that the polyphenols and other antioxidants in cranberries help repair damage to vascular tissue, protect the heart from damage, and decrease harmful inflammation, potentially decreasing heart disease risk.
“Antioxidants have been shown to reduce the risk of certain chronic diseases because they can help lower inflammation in our bodies” explains Candace O’Neill.”
A review published in Nutrition Reviews found support for the potential benefits of cranberries in lowering LDL cholesterol and blood pressure and decreasing other cardiovascular disease risk factors.
Helps Rejuvenate the Skin
The nutrients in cranberries boost skin health, and its antioxidants repair the skin barrier and help protect it from UV rays. High in anti-inflammatory agents, cranberry helps soothe redness and irritation, and it gently exfoliates dead cells from the skin’s surface.
The vitamin C in cranberry boosts collagen production to help tighten the skin and smooth wrinkles and fine lines, and it also slows melanin production to fade dark spots. A 6-week study of women over 40 in Nutrients found that a daily cranberry drink enhanced the skin microbiome, reduced inflammation, and lowered oxidative stress.
Supports Healthy Digestion
Cranberries are high in dietary fiber, which helps feed probiotic bacteria in the gut so it can destroy harmful pathogens and balance the gut microbiome. Consulting this fruit in moderate amounts helps promote regular bowel movements, and may ease issues like constipation, gas, and bloating.
Cranberry also helps rid the body of bile acids that increase your risk of colon and gut cancer. A review in Advances in Nutrition found support for the health benefits of cranberries on the gut microbiome and cardiometabolic health.
Helps Balance Blood Sugar
The fiber in cranberries slows digestion, which helps promote healthy blood sugar levels and may offer anti-diabetes benefits. In addition, its antioxidants help repair cellular damage to support metabolic health.
A study of obese adults with type 2 diabetes in Food & Function found that cranberries helped improve postprandial glucose and lower inflammation after a high-fat breakfast.
Sources of Cranberry
You can buy fresh cranberries from the grocery store, and they are most potent when eaten raw. They have a sour, somewhat bitter, and slightly sweet flavor that some enjoy, but others prefer to blend cranberries in a smoothie, add them to yogurt, or use them to top off a fruit salad.
Some people add cranberries to baking, while others drink the juice to help prevent UTIs and boost nutrient intake. Is cranberry juice good for you?
Some products have a lot of added sugar, so check the label and try to choose pure cranberry juice in unsweetened form. You can also buy dried cranberries, but they too sometimes contain added sugar.
In addition, supplement brands are abundant, in the form of capsules, gummies, powder, and cranberry tablets. You can also find this nutrient-packed fruit as an ingredient in health supplements like WOWMD UroVital Defense.
Dosage Recommendations
Cranberries are safe for most people, although too much may lead to stomach upset. The optimal supplement dosage depends on your purpose, but the range for helping to prevent UTIs and supporting overall health spans from 120-1600 mg daily in supplement form and 120-750 ml for juice. Follow the instructions on the label or provided by your healthcare provider.
Safety and Side Effects
Cranberries are well-tolerated by most people, but excess amounts may lead to side effects like stomach upset, diarrhea, or bloating. In addition, as we said in our Nature’s Way Cranberry Extract review, it could have a mild diuretic effect.
Some evidence indicates that too much cranberry could increase the risk of kidney stones, so individuals who are prone to this issue should consult with a healthcare practitioner before taking cranberry supplements.
When you purchase a supplement, make sure that it is free of chemical or artificial additives, has no common allergens, and is manufactured in an FDA-registered, GMP-certified facility. In addition, look for a brand that conducts independent third-party testing for quality and purity.
FAQs About Cranberry
Q: What is the best health benefit of cranberry fruit?
A: This fruit is dense in nutrients and antioxidants, and the most talked about potential cranberry benefits are supporting urinary tract health and helping to prevent UTIs. In addition, cranberry helps strengthen the immune system, support heart health, rejuvenate the skin, balance blood sugar, enhance digestion, and more.
Q: What is the healthiest way to eat cranberries?
A: The best way to derive all of the packed nutrients and goodness cranberries have to offer is to eat them raw as a snack, although some find them somewhat sour in flavor. However, you can also add them to fruit salad, yogurt, or smoothies to sweeten the taste.
Q: Who should take cranberry supplements?
A: Adults who are prone to UTIs may benefit from taking cranberry supplements, although they should not be the main treatment for an active infection. In addition, many take a cranberry supplement to help support heart, metabolic, and immune health, improve digestion, enrich the skin, and enhance overall wellness.
Q: What do cranberries taste like?
A: These berries have a sour, tart, somewhat bitter flavor overall, but there is a hint of sweetness underneath that makes them a great favorite with many raw, combined with other foods, in supplement form, or as cranberry juice.
Q: Can I eat cranberries every day?
A: Most people can eat this fruit daily, but in excess, you may experience mild cranberry side effects like diarrhea, gas, and bloating. People with kidney conditions should consult a health care practitioner, as too much cranberry could increase the risk of kidney stones.
The Final Word
Cranberry is a superior superfruit, with a potent blend of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other bioactive agents that support health and well-being. Adding more of this fruit to your regimen may help prevent a urinary tract infection, and it could also boost your heart, immune, gut, skin, and metabolic health.
Some evidence suggests that this fruit could help prevent certain chronic conditions. You can eat cranberries as a snack or add them to other foods, if you like the flavor, or take a daily supplement to boost the cranberry health benefits. Before taking a supplement, consult with a healthcare practitioner about suitability and ideal dosing.
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13 Sources
We review published medical research in respected scientific journals to arrive at our conclusions about a product or health topic. This ensures the highest standard of scientific accuracy.
[2] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/374700260_Health_Benefits_of_Cranberries_An_In-Depth_Overview
[3] Preventive Effect of Cranberries With High Dose of Proanthocyanidins on Urinary Tract Infections: A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2024.1422121/full
[4] Consumption of Cranberry Polyphenols Enhances Human ??-T Cell Proliferation and Reduces the Number Of Symptoms Associated With Colds and Influenza: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Intervention Study: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24330619/
[5] Cranberries (Vaccinium macrocarpon) and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors: https://academic.oup.com/nutritionreviews/article-abstract/65/11/490/1907389?redirectedFrom=fulltext&login=false
[6] Polyphenol-Rich Cranberry Beverage Positively Affected Skin Health, Skin Lipids, Skin Microbiome, Inflammation, and Oxidative Stress in Women in a Randomized Controlled Trial: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/16/18/3126
[7] Impact of Cranberries on Gut Microbiota and Cardiometabolic Health: Proceedings of the Cranberry Health Research Conference 2015: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4942875/
[8] Cranberries Improve Postprandial Glucose Excursions in Type 2 Diabetes: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9473326/
[9] Cranberries and Their Bioactive Constituents in Human Health: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3823508/
[10] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/322366922_American_cranberries_and_health_benefits_-_an_evolving_story_of_25_years
[11] Updated Meta-Analysis: Cranberry Products Reduced UTI Risk: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2804706
[12] Cranberries For Preventing Urinary Tract Infections: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37068952/
[13] Effects of Cranberry Juice Consumption on Vascular Function in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3076649/
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