Cranberry Juice Benefits and Side Effects For Both Women and Men – Science and Myths

by Regev Elya • May 17, 2011 • Nutrition • 0 Comments

Cranberries.. ?

The health benefits of cranberry juice and the fruit itself are vast. Cranberries have been used by the local people of North America for hundreds of years, as a food and as a medicine, mainly for treating bladder, liver, and kidney diseases and infections. English colonists who reached America, were later introduced to the cranberry by the locals, and learned to use it to treat many other diseases and ailments as well, such as blood disorders, digestive difficulties, and even loss of appetite. Thanks to them, we all enjoy the health benefits of cranberry juice, fruit, and sauce.

Cranberry

These berries, today, are mostly known in the form of juice, and many people consume it in the hope of prevention or treatment of urinary tract infections. Recently, a research funded by NCCAM (The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine) found out that cranberry juice consumed by women who just recovered from a bladder infection, actually failed to prevent the disease from appearing back in those women.

However, this study comes in contradiction to a wide range of studies, that all point to the fact that although cranberries can not treat these infections, they can certainly help to prevent them. There are still many cranberry juice health benefits out there, that make this berry a healthy addition to any diet.

update: The usage of cranberry juice concentrate has also grown up lately. You can safely apply all of the information and concepts in this article to concentrated cranberry juice as well. I will continue studying more studies and will update if any practical difference appears between the two.

Cranberry Juice Benefits – “What is Cranberry Juice Good For?”

Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)

As said above, cranberry is mostly known for the prevention of urinary tract infections. These infections are usually caused by the E.Coli bacteria. Today, scientists know the true reason for this fruit to help against the development of these infections. Thanks to recent studies, we know that cranberries actually prevent this bacteria from attaching to the urinary tract walls, and thus preventing an infection. This is opposed to common myth, which the scientists once thought correct, that cranberry makes the urine so acidic that it kills the bacteria, which again, is wrong.

Although considered to be one of the greatest benefits of cranberry juice for women suffering from UTIs, cranberry is not effective at killing the bacteria once it is attached to the walls, and thus should be expected to prevent UTIs at first place, and not treat an infection after it presents. Which means that if you have an infection already, do not expect cranberry juice to help.

Dense Nutritional Value

One of the most important health benefits of cranberry juice is its nutritional value. This fruit is full of dietary fibers, minerals and vitamins, phytochemicals and antioxidants, which all help our immune system to defend our body and fight any disease or ailment. The fruit contains phytonutrient and flavonoid, which have antimicrobial and antioxidant attributes, which gives you a better protection against numerous diseases, including gastrointestinal tract and dental cavities.

You may also have heard that antioxidants help to fight against free radicals. The best way to reduce the amount of free radicals is to maintain a healthy nutrient-dense caloric-restrictive diet, since effectiveness of antioxidants against them is not quite clear, and free radicals have their important cell-regulating role in our body.

update: If you find the relation between calorie restriction, free radicals, aging and health interesting, I recommend reading Ore Gottlieb’s excellent post “Become Metushelah With a Low Calorie Diet – Slowing Down The Aging Process With Calorie Restriction”.

Oral Hygiene

Studies also suggest that cranberries may help to hinder dental cavities, by preventing bacteria from sticking to the gums and teeth. This only applies to the fruit itself, because the juice is very concentrated in sugar, which possess a risk for the teeth by itself.

Cardiovascular Health and Anti-Cancer

Antioxidants and phytochemicals found in cranberries may help reducing the ‘bad cholesterol’ levels (LDL ), as well as reducing the chance of developing cancer. However, you can get these benefits from many types of berries and other fruits as well. Also, cranberries may help you to improve HDL levels (‘good cholesterol’), reduce platelet aggregation, and improve your vascular function. Results from several studies indicate that even low amounts of fresh cranberry juice may lead to a big increase of the plasma antioxidant capacity and a decrease in LDL, so cardiovascular health is just another benefit of cranberries to consider.

Low Glycemic Response

Thanks do its highly rich nutritional value and natural compounds such as flavonoids, anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins, cranberry juice has a much lower glycemic response than other juices, or a placebo beverage, which contains the same amount of sugar. Current research involving humans indicates that the polyphenols in cranberries indeed blunt the blood sugar response in humans, which suggests that it might be useful for diabetic people or people at risk for metabolic syndrome. Check out with your doctor before consumption of cranberry juice though, as each situation is different and each juice’s amount of added sugar is different.

Are There Any Cranberry Juice Side Effects ?

The fruit, juice, or other supplements derived from cranberries, are considered to be completely safe, without any noticeable side effects. However, cranberries contains a bigger-than-average amounts of oxalate, a chemical which might increase the risk for having kidney stones. More research is needed though on the relation between cranberry juice and kidney stones, as this fruit was actually used by the native Americans to treat kidney diseases, and you can rest assured that if cranberry was not safe for consumption, it would never survive as a food for the local population.

However, If you have ever had kidney stones, consider talking to your doctor before taking anything that contains cranberries. Also, do not substitute antibiotics for cranberry juice, if you have a urinary tract infection, because as already discussed later, it is not effective as a treatment but rather as a prevention for this disease.

In conclusion, is cranberry juice good for you? absolutely. It is a very healthy choice, and although the prevention of urinary tract infections is one of the primary cranberry juice benefits for women, you may also benefit greatly from its advantages no matter what your gender and age are. Also, needless to say, you can get these benefits with any of its forms, be it a fresh cranberry, or the juice / concentrate made out of it. I’d recommend the whole fruit, if possible, as the natural synergy between all the nutrients almost always make the whole food better.

Recommendation:

If you truly want to enjoy pure cranberry juice benefits without sacrificing anything, opt for a sugar free or organic unsweetened cranberry juice. I personally also prefer the taste of this juice over the “sugar enhanced” one. It is also more recommended for diabetic people, for obvious reasons. If you find it hard to consume on its natural sourness, I would recommend adding a little bit of Stevia to it. It is a natural, healthy and caloric-free sweetener. Read more about the benefits of Stevia.

Do not hesitate to share your thoughts, experiences or questions regarding cranberry or its related products on the comment box below. We all love informative discussions, don’t we?

Scientific References

Cranberry juice fails to prevent recurrent urinary tract infection: results from a randomized placebo-controlled trial. Barbosa-Cesnik C, Brown MB, Buxton M, Zhang L, DeBusscher J, Foxman B. Clinical Infectious Diseases. 2011;52(1):23–30.

Reduction of bacteriuria and pyuria after ingestion of cranberry juice. Avorn J, Monane M, Gurwitz JH, Glynn RJ, Choodnovskiy I, Lipsitz LA. JAMA. 1994;271:751-754.

New support for a folk remedy : cranberry juice reduces pyuria and bacteriuria in elderly women. Fleet JC. Nutr Rev. 1994;52(5):168-70.

Cranberry proanthocyanidins and the maintenance of urinary tract health. Howell AB. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2002;42(3 Suppl):273-8

Antioxidant and antiproliferative activities of common fruits. Sun J, Chu YF, Wu X, Liu RH. J Agric Food Chem. 2002;50(25):7449-54.

Inhibition of bacterial adherence by cranberry juice: potential use for the treatment of urinary tract infection. Sobota AE. J Urol. 1984;131(5):1013-6.

The effect of cranberry juice on the presence of bacteria and white blood cells in the urine of elderly women. What is the role of bacterial adhesion? Avorn J. Adv Exp Med Biol. 1996;408:185-6.

Loss of fimbrial adhesion with the addition of Vaccinum macrocarpon to the growth medium of P-fimbriated Escherichia coli.Ahuja S, Kaack B, Roberts J. J Urol. 1998;159(2):559-62.

Reduction of Escherichia coli adherence to uroepithelial bladder cells after consumption of cranberry juice: a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled cross-over trial. Di Martino P, Agniel R, David K, Templer C, Gaillard JL, Denys P, Botto H. World J Urol. 2006;24(1):21-7.

Cranberries (Vaccinium macrocarpon) and cardiovascular disease risk factors. McKay DL, Blumberg JB. Nutr Rev. 2007;65(11):490-502.

Cranberry and blueberry: evidence for protective effects against cancer and vascular diseases. Neto CC. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2007;51(6):652-64.

Changes in plasma antioxidant capacity and oxidized low-density lipoprotein levels in men after short-term cranberry juice consumption. Ruel G, Pomerleau S, Couture P, Lamarche B, Couillard C. Metabolism. 2005;54(7):856-61.

Berries modify the postprandial plasma glucose response to sucrose in healthy subjects. Torronen R, Sarkkinen E, Tapola N, Hautaniemi E, Kilpi K, Niskanen L. Br J Nutr. 2010;103(8):1094-7.

Human glycemic response and phenolic content of unsweetened cranberry juice. Wilson T, Singh AP, Vorsa N, Goettl CD, Kittleson KM, Roe CM, Kastello GM, Ragsdale FR. J Med Food. 2008;11(1):46-54.

Favorable glycemic response of type-II diabetics to low-calorie cranberry juice. Wilson T, Meyers SL, Limburg PJ, Singh AP, Vorsa N. J Food Sci. 2008;73 (9):H241-5.

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