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Nutrient Content: high in prebiotic fiber, antioxidant vitamin C, dietary minerals Phytochemical Content: high in polyphenols, including anthocyanins, Phyto proanthocyanidins, and ellagic acid As can be seen by their common genus name, Vaccinium, cranberries and blueberries are close botanical relatives and thus have similar physical characteristics and nutrient profiles. Wild or cultivated across the northern hemisphere, cranberries have been popularized by a red “juice cocktail” with a tangy taste and clean finish. They also are a traditional sauce or jelly side dish for winter holiday dinners and are gaining popularity as dried, sweetened fruit.

Cranberries contain most essential nutrients at good or low levels, as well as three with excellent daily value percentages—dietary fiber (mainly from skin), vitamin C, and manganese. In addition,cranberries have significant polyphenolic content, especially tannins; proanthocyanidins, mainly responsible for the characteristic tartness; and anthocyanins, the primary pigments for their crimson color. Through mechanisms that may involve anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, or antioxidant effects, all these polyphenols are under active research for their potential roles in lowering the risk of onset of numerous human diseases. Among the twenty superfruits, cranberries are near the top for intensity of research interest and progress up the research pyramid toward conclusion of human clinical trials.

Among berries, the cranberry is the third-most studied (after grape and strawberry), being the subject over the past century of more than five hundred research reports on laboratory models of cancer, heart disease, inflammation, aging, and ulcers. Cranberries have been studied most extensively for the specific antibacterial properties of  proanthocyanidins, which may inhibit adhesion of bacteria to epithelial tissues such as those of the urinary tract (“anti-adhesion” effects). Among twenty-five clinical trials on cranberry juice or extracts in early 2009, half were investigating specifically these anti-adhesion/antibacterial effects. The largest, most advanced study is a series of related phase II clinical trials by the U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine of the National Institutes of Health involving 250 to 400 female patients in each study. This research is distinctive among superfruits in that it is related not to the hallmark of public interest in superfruits antioxidant properties but rather to antibacterial effects. Recognized subjectively for sourness, cranberries have this flavor profile because of their richness in a variety of polyphenols (phenolic acids), which increase the acidity of the fruit. This characteristic is also the most probable health factor in cranberries, as phenolic acids may be the beneficial factor for inhibiting growth of urinary tract bacteria and of stomach bacteria (Helicobacter pylori) that cause the formation of peptic ulcers. Separate studies in 2008 by scientists in Japan, China, and Chile showed that regular consumption of cranberry juice inhibits H. pylori colonization in adults and children and, therefore, may be effective in preventing stomach infections and even some cancers. Another noteworthy result of cranberry polyphenol research is the berries’ possible use in oral health products such as mouthwash, dental floss, and toothpaste. Imagine that: a cranberry-infused and -flavored toothpaste or dental floss that actually kills bacteria in dental plaques. Brilliant!

The cranberry research centered on the anti-adhesion and antibacterial effects obtained from regular juice consumption, which were discovered nearly fifty years ago, has led to a health claim allowance in France, and several clinical trials are under way in the United States. Although cranberry juice and tablet products are commonly taken to prevent urinary tract infections, an optimal effective dose has not been established, and the cranberry phytochemicals responsible for anti-adhesion properties are not yet defined precisely; proanthocyanidins are considered the leading candidate for effectiveness. Other current clinical trials aimed at determining potential benefits of cranberry juice include subjects with diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and visual deficits associated with aging. Cranberries are an example of a fruit whose healthpromoting potential was discovered at a relatively early time in modern science—the 1960s. Antimicrobial effects were found just from regularly drinking diluted juice, still a worthwhile reason for adding this juice to your diet.

Cranberries require sweetening if used in fresh or frozen form, yielding tangy, slightly sour products that many people enjoy in sauces, compotes, jams, and syrups. What would Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner be without cranberry sauce, and why are we not dishing up this delicious sauce more frequently throughout the year? The common retail juice itself is eminently versatile, adding mild tartness that blends readily with other fruit juices and sauces. One fruit serving equals an eight-ounce glass of juice cocktail or about twenty-five dried berries—two easy ways to get this outstanding superfruit into your diet.