The 8 Best Cranberry Juices to Satisfy Your Superfruit Cravings

Considerations When Purchasing Cranberry Juice

Cranberries, one of just three fruits native to North America, are produced on roughly 40,000 acres of marshy ground spanning cooler regions in the northern US and Canada. Wisconsin has been the leading producer of cranberries for over two decades, accounting for more than half of the world supply. Ocean Spray, a growers co-op founded in the 1930s, supplies around 70% of all cranberries marketed.

Cranberries are an evergreen shrub with little pink flowers and dark red fruits that float on the water when they mature and fall off into the water-filled marshes and bogs because they contain a little pocket of air inside of them. This enables for wet harvesting.

Cranberries were initially combined with dried meats and fat by Native Americans to create pemmican, a high protein and high energy snack that could be utilized throughout the winter and when traveling to trade. Cranberry juice itself dates back to 1683, when it was first prepared by American immigrants.

Cranberry got its name from Dutch and German immigrants who called it crane-berry because the blossoms resembled the head of a crane bird. While cranberries provide the greatest advantages when consumed whole and fresh, their bitter and biting flavor means that most of us choose to take them in the form of a diluted juice drink or cooked with the Thanksgiving turkey!

Cranberries include a variety of useful molecules and substances, including antioxidants, which may help the body battle damage caused by chemicals known as free radicals. Free radicals accelerate aging and induce oxidative stress in the body. Oxidative damage is connected to a variety of illnesses, including diabetes and heart disease, as well as cancer. According to research, cranberries may have a role in cancer prevention via dietary modifications.

According to one research, cranberries encouraged more efficient antioxidant activity when their pH was lowest, and although the berries themselves were the most powerful antioxidants, cranberry juice did have some antioxidant effects.

Cranberries are also high in salicylic acid, which is the key element in aspirin. Consuming cranberry juice on a regular basis raises the body’s salicylic acid levels, which may help avoid blood clots, decrease edema, and even have anti-tumor properties.

When selecting cranberry juice, distinguish between true, 100% or pure cranberry juice that is not from concentrates and does not include any sugars or additives, and cranberry juice cocktails or beverages that often contain sweets such as high fructose corn syrup. If you’re thinking about purchasing cranberry juice, check to see whether it’s sweetened with natural sweeteners like grape or apple juice rather than artificial sweeteners or sugars.

To sweeten pure cranberry juice, dilute it with water or a sweeter liquid such as grape or orange juice.

UTIs, Cranberry Juice, and Industry Controversy

While cranberry juice has long been connected with urinary tract infections (UTIs), research seems that cranberries may not be the magical cure for UTIs that many of us believe they are. According to the American Urological Association, over half of all women in the United States will have a UTI at some time in their lives.

In 2016, one research found less bacterial infections in urine cultures from boys who had recurrent UTIs and were uncircumcised compared to two other groups of boys, one who were uncircumcised and drank a placebo and the other who were circumcised and drank a placebo. Cranberry juice may be useful against bacterial pathogen development, according to the study. A subsequent 2017 research in mice found that cranberry juice decreased the incidence of UTIs.

It was often believed that cranberries may make urine acidic, preventing bacteria from developing in the urinary system, but it now seems that the proanthocyanidins in cranberries instead prevent germs like E. coli from sticking to the urinary tract lining.

This inhibits the germs from developing and spreading, preventing illness. Nevertheless, these proanthocyanidins do not seem to be able to eliminate bacteria that has already adhered to the cells, which means that although there is some evidence that cranberry may help prevent UTIs in some groups of individuals, it is likely ineffectual as a therapy for them.

Nevertheless, a number of studies have found that cranberry juice is ineffective as a therapy for UTIs, therefore additional study is required before drawing any conclusions about whether cranberry juice is useful against UTIs. A 2012 evaluation of the evidence determined that cranberry juice could not be advised to prevent UTIs at the time.

Previous laboratory studies have shown that cranberries may suppress the development of several viruses, including norovirus (a prominent cause of foodborne disease), and can also reduce the growth of seven different species of bacteria. Several studies have also shown that consuming cranberry juice might help decrease urine odor in those who have trouble controlling their pee.

According to the Washington Post, our cranberry growers are currently producing more cranberries than we consume, and a major cranberry juice producer has invested heavily in research into cranberry juice and UTIs, but experts disagree with the producers’ claim that women who drink cranberry juice have fewer UTIs.

In 2017, the manufacturer (Ocean Spray) sought approval to include a warning on their package that cranberry juice may help lower UTI risk. Many experts disagreed with Ocean Spray’s findings and claims for several reasons, including the fact that Ocean Spray looked at the preventative benefits of cranberries in people who have common UTI symptoms such as frequent or painful urination, whereas much of the independent research has focused on groups of people with these symptoms and confirmed bacterial infections. Some diseases, such as anxiousness, may create UTI symptoms such as frequent urination.

Further similarities may be seen in cranberry and UTI studies. Several studies found that cranberry extract might prevent UTIs as well as the antibiotic medicine trimethoprim, while other studies found that the antibiotics were more effective at preventing UTIs than cranberry.

There are also questions over whether drinking cranberry juice or taking cranberry extracts is more beneficial, and what the most effective amount of either is.

The FDA seemed to disagree with the industry conclusions as well, rejecting the request for an approved health claim but said it would examine a qualified health claim, which would entail achieving a lesser requirement. This would enable Ocean Spray to make a cautious mention of the relationship while stressing that the evidence is uncertain. The corporation has gone forward with the permitted health claim, and it is believed that this would assist boost existing cranberry juice sales.

The Dangers of Cranberry Juice

When eaten properly, cranberry juice is likely to be safe for the majority of individuals. Excessive juice consumption might result in moderate stomach discomfort or diarrhea. Consuming more than 33.8 fl. oz. of cranberry juice per day may raise the risk of kidney stones.

Since there is a lack of credible evidence on the safety of cranberries when pregnant or breast-feeding, it may be prudent to avoid drinking cranberry at this time.

If you are allergic to aspirin, you should avoid drinking cranberry juice in excessive quantities since it contains salicylic acid. Cranberry juice may improve vitamin B12 absorption in persons with atrophic gastritis, or inflammation of the stomach lining, so consult your doctor before drinking cranberry juice, particularly if you are taking B12 supplements. Similarly, persons who consume cranberry juice and have lower amounts of stomach acid may absorb more B12 (hypochlorhydria).

While research on cranberry drug interactions is sparse, early data shows that cranberry may interact with pharmaceuticals altered by the liver such as diazepam, glipizide, ibuprofen, tamoxifen, and others, as well as the anti-inflammatory diclofenac. Cranberry may be able to boost the benefits and adverse effects of some of these medicines since they are broken down by the liver.

Interactions with antibiotics like amoxicillin and cefaclor, immunosuppressants such cyclosporine, midazolam, and tizanidine are also possible. If you are using any of these medications, you should see your doctor before ingesting cranberry juice.

Cranberry may potentially interact with warfarin, raising the risk of bleeding and bruising. Warfarin users should get their blood examined on a frequent basis since warfarin dosage may need to be adjusted.

While cranberry juice is probably safe for children to drink, The American Academy of Pediatrics advises against feeding newborns juice and limiting fruit juice consumption in toddlers and children. If parents opt to include cranberry juice in their children’s diet, they should do so sparingly and not mix it with other fruit liquids.

If you want to try cranberry juice for urinary health, studies have employed a variety of dosages, including 10 to 16 fl. oz. daily of a cranberry juice drink containing 26% pure cranberry juice.

Cranberries and Cardiovascular Health

Cranberries’ polyphenols may be able to lower LDL cholesterol levels. One research also found that cranberry juice helped those with coronary artery disease, and that those who drank a double strength preparation of cranberry juice had less arterial stiffness.

Inflammation contributes to blood vessel damage over time, and these damaged vessels attract plaque deposits, resulting in atherosclerosis. Cranberries include phytonutrients, which may serve as anti-inflammatories and may give some protection against heart disease.

It is well recognized that the risk of heart disease rises after menopause when compared to risks in other age groups. In a 2013 research, regular cranberry eating was shown to lower overall cholesterol in laboratory rats with ovaries removed. While this has yet to be confirmed, it may give some evidence for the efficacy of cranberry in postmenopausal women’s diets.

Stomach Healing with Cranberry Juice

Cranberry juice has the potential to suppress the Helicobacter pylori bacterium. H. pylori, which lives in the stomach lining, may proliferate and cause stomach ulcers. Some studies found that taking cranberry juice on a daily basis could eliminate H. pylori in adults and children, while others found that taking cranberry juice alongside conventional drugs did not change the time it took to resolve the infection when compared to those who only took conventional medications.

Cranberries’ phytochemicals may be beneficial to digestive health, however more study is required in this area since data to yet has been conflicting.

Cranberries’ anti-inflammatories and antioxidants may help reduce the incidence of colon cancer.

Other Possible Advantages

Cranberry juice may be able to assist prevent dental plaque from forming on our teeth, lowering our chance of acquiring gum disease.

At the moment, the information on whether cranberry may reduce the chance of kidney stones developing is inconclusive, while some preliminary study suggests that it can. Nevertheless, since cranberry includes oxalate, it is more probable that it will raise the risk of kidney stones in those who are predisposed to oxalate-kidney stones.

Some data suggests that cranberry extract may raise the quantity of oxalate in urine by up to 43%, so if you are prone to kidney stones, you should avoid drinking a lot of cranberry juice.

Conclusion

or for the treatment of UTIs. We’ve also looked at some of the other possible advantages of cranberry juice that preliminary research is uncovering, as well as what you should be aware of if you wish to take cranberry on a daily basis. This article has examined the claims and debate surrounding cranberry juice and prevention in detail.

We hope you liked this post and found our assessments of some of the finest cranberry juice useful whether you are seeking for cranberry juice to use as an occasional mixer in cocktails or to drink every day for its possible health advantages.