Cranberries, also known as red berries, are native to North America and have been used both as a food and for medicinal purposes by indigenous populations.

Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait.) is a plant that belongs to the family of Ericaceae.

Commercial applications:

Food. Cranberries are used in a variety of food products, including juices, jams, sauces, and baked goods.

Cooking. They can be used in a variety of recipes, both sweet and savory, and are a common ingredient in festive dishes in many cultures.

Health. Sometimes used in dietary supplements and health products due to their potential wellness benefits.

Safety

Cranberries are generally safe for consumption and are known for their potential health benefits, including preventing urinary tract infections and protecting against some chronic diseases due to their high antioxidant content. In some individuals, excessive consumption of cranberries can cause gastrointestinal disturbances due to their acid content.

Studies

It is used in the food sector mainly for the preparation of fruit juices and sweets and in medicine to treat cystitis, kidneys and related infections (1), as well as to counteract the progression of prostate cancer (2).

It has a very high content of polyphenols, compared to fruits such as orange, grape, contains anthocyanins, polyphenols (quercetin, myricetin), malic acid, citric acid (3), vitamins (A, C, E), resveratrol. It can therefore be considered a nutraceutical.

The integration of cranberry quercetin into the chemotherapy of ovarian cancer has produced in vitro cellular apoptotic events, including cell cycle arrest, for which it can be considered a potential dietary available therapeutic agent (4).

The scientific literature agrees in attributing to cranberry anti-tumor properties.  This in vitro study has shown that cranberry and/or its components can act as chemopreventive agents, reducing the risk of cancer by inhibiting cellular oxidation and inflammatory processes, while they can also exert chemotherapeutic effects by inhibiting cellular proliferation and angiogenesis, inducing cellular apoptosis and attenuating the ability of tumor cells to invade and metastasize (5).

The polyphenols present in the cranberry are known to have attenuating effects against different properties of cariogenic virulence responsible for the pathogenesis of dental caries (6).

Avoid drinking too much cranberry juice as it can alter the effect of warfarin (7).

Cranberry studies

References_____________________________________________________________________

(1)  Pagonas N, Hörstrup J, Schmidt D, Benz P, Schindler R, Reinke P, van der Giet M, Zidek W, Westhoff TH.   Prophylaxis of recurrent urinary tract infection after renal transplantation by cranberry juice and L-methionine. Transplant Proc. 2012 Dec;44(10):3017-21. doi: 10.1016/j.transproceed.2012.06.071.

Bruyère F, Azzouzi AR, Lavigne JP, Droupy S, Coloby P, Game X, Karsenty G, Issartel B, Ruffion A, Misrai V, Sotto A, Allaert FA. A Multicenter, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study Evaluating the Efficacy of a Combination of Propolis and Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) (DUAB®) in Preventing Low Urinary Tract Infection Recurrence in Women Complaining of Recurrent Cystitis.    Urol Int. 2019;103(1):41-48. doi: 10.1159/000496695.

Jepson RG, Williams G, Craig JC.  Cochrane Database Syst  Cranberries for preventing urinary tract infections.  Rev. 2012 Oct 17;10:CD001321. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD001321.pub5. Review.

(2) Déziel B, MacPhee J, Patel K, Catalli A, Kulka M, Neto C, Gottschall-Pass K, Hurta R.  American cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) extract affects human prostate cancer cell growth via cell cycle arrest by modulating expression of cell cycle regulators.   Food Funct. 2012 May;3(5):556-64. doi: 10.1039/c2fo10145a. Epub 2012 Mar 5.

(3) Wang Y, Johnson-Cicalese J, Singh AP, Vorsa N.  Characterization and quantification of flavonoids and organic acids over fruit development in American cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) cultivars using HPLC and APCI-MS/MS.  Plant Sci. 2017 Sep;262:91-102. doi: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2017.06.004.

(4)  Wang Y, Han A, Chen E, Singh RK, Chichester CO, Moore RG, Singh AP, Vorsa N. The cranberry flavonoids PAC DP-9 and quercetin aglycone induce cytotoxicity and cell cycle arrest and increase cisplatin sensitivity in ovarian cancer cells.  Int J Oncol. 2015 May;46(5):1924-34. doi: 10.3892/ijo.2015.2931.

(5) Mantzorou M, Zarros A, Theocharis S, Pavlidou E, Giaginis C.  Cranberry as a Promising Natural Source of Potential Nutraceuticals with Anticancer Activity.    Anticancer Agents Med Chem. 2019 Jul 4. doi: 10.2174/1871520619666190704163301.

(6)  Philip N, Bandara HMHN, Leishman SJ, Walsh LJ. Effect of polyphenol-rich cranberry extracts on cariogenic biofilm properties and microbial composition of polymicrobial biofilms.  Arch Oral Biol. 2019 Jun;102:1-6. doi: 10.1016/j.archoralbio.2019.03.026.

(7)  Srinivas NR  Cranberry juice ingestion and clinical drug-drug interaction potentials; review of case studies and perspectives.  Pharm Pharm Sci. 2013 J Pharm Pharm Sci. 2013;16(2):289-303.