You've probably heard about the benefits of cranberries from friends or family. In fact, Native Americans first recognised the powerful properties of the berry hundreds of years back - historical records from the 1600s show local medicine men made cranberry poultices to draw poison from arrow wounds.
Things have moved on a bit since then, and there seems to be much more to cranberry and health than just folklore.
For over 60 years, Ocean Spray has been at the forefront of research into the cranberry and cranberry products to determine the role they could play in helping to maintain your health.
Scientific research has revealed that cranberries contain powerful condensed tannins called proanthocyanidins or PACs. These are nature's natural agents that may help to maintain your health by acting on certain harmful bacteria in the body. Scientists suggest that PACs may work by stopping certain bacteria from adhering in the body. If bugs can't stick, then they cannot multiply and cause infection. It's this anti-stick mechanism which is thought to be the key to cranberry's role in helping to maintain urinary tract health.
And the great news is that Cranberry Classic, with its 25% cranberry juice content , is PACked with goodness - a 250ml serving typically contains 100mg of these powerful proanthocyanidins.
A recent study suggests that women could help maintain a healthy urinary tract by drinking two servings of Cranberry Classic every day. According to Amy B. Howell, Ph.D., research scientist at Rutgers University speaking at the Symposium - "Cranberry Its role in disease prevention" - London, November 2004:
"This research found that Cranberry Classic's beneficial effect may start within two hours and can last for up to 10 hours in the urine, which suggests that consuming a serving in the morning and one in the evening may provide more effective anti-adhesion protection than consuming one serving a day."
In addition, a serving of Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice Drink typically contains at least 100% of the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of vitamin C, the powerful antioxidant that can help keep our immune system healthy. In fact, when it comes to antioxidants, cranberries are the pick of the bunch. According to a recent study, cranberries have more naturally-occurring antioxidants than any other common fruit surpassing blueberries, plums, blackberries, raspberries and more [1]. Antioxidants in general are thought to help the body's defense against free radical damage that can contribute to many chronic diseases.
While these studies are preliminary and further clinical research is needed to understand the potential benefit to health, it's clear that cranberry may have a part to play in helping to maintain health. A detailed summary of the supporting research is provided in the Information for Health Professionals section.
It's vital to rememberthat cranberry juice should not be used to treat, prevent or cure any disease. However, cranberry juice may be an effective part of a health maintenance routine but only with the approval and guidance of a health care professional whose advice should be sought at the earliest opportunity, especially if an infection is suspected.
[1] Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, June 2004 