Cranberry juice
Encyclopedia
Cranberry juice is the juice of the cranberry
Cranberry
Cranberries are a group of evergreen dwarf shrubs or trailing vines in the subgenus Oxycoccus of the genus Vaccinium. In some methods of classification, Oxycoccus is regarded as a genus in its own right...

. Commercially, it is sold in either as a pure juice, which is quite tart, or, more commonly, as cranberry juice "cocktail" or "drink" , in blends with other juices, such as apple
Apple juice
Apple juice is a fruit juice manufactured by the maceration and pressing of apples. The resulting expelled juice may be further treated by enzymatic and centrifugal clarification to remove the starch and pectin, which holds fine particulate in suspension, and then pasteurized for packaging in...

 or grape
Grape juice
Grape juice is obtained from crushing and blending grapes into a liquid. The juice is often sold in stores or fermented and made into wine, brandy, or vinegar. In the wine industry, grape juice that contains 7-23 percent of pulp, skins, stems and seeds is often referred to as "must"...

, or mixed with water and corn syrup
Corn syrup
Corn syrup is a food syrup, which is made from the starch of maize and contains varying amounts of maltose and higher oligosaccharides, depending on the grade. Corn syrup is used in foods to soften texture, add volume, prevent crystallization of sugar, and enhance flavor...

, sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...

, or an artificial sweetener (such as aspartame
Aspartame
Aspartame is an artificial, non-saccharide sweetener used as a sugar substitute in some foods and beverages. In the European Union, it is codified as E951. Aspartame is a methyl ester of the aspartic acid/phenylalanine dipeptide. It was first sold under the brand name NutraSweet; since 2009 it...

 or sucralose
Sucralose
Sucralose is an artificial sweetener. The majority of ingested sucralose is not broken down by the body and therefore it is non-caloric. In the European Union, it is also known under the E number E955. Sucralose is approximately 600 times as sweet as sucrose , twice as sweet as saccharin, and 3.3...

). These may also be blended with other juices or flavors. The term, when used on its own, almost always refers to a sweetened drink.

Cranberry juice cocktail is sometimes used as a mixer with alcoholic drinks such as a Cape Codder
Cape Codder (cocktail)
The Cape Cod or Cape Codder is a type of cocktail made with only fruit juice and spirits. The name refers to Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in the eastern United States...

 (1+1/2 ounces of vodka
Vodka
Vodka , is a distilled beverage. It is composed primarily of water and ethanol with traces of impurities and flavorings. Vodka is made by the distillation of fermented substances such as grains, potatoes, or sometimes fruits....

 to 4 ounces cranberry juice) or non-alcoholic drinks such as the Bog Grog (2 parts Chelmsford ginger ale
Ginger ale
Ginger ale is a carbonated soft drink flavored with ginger. Dr. Thomas Cantrell, an American apothecary and surgeon, claimed to have invented ginger ale and marketed it with beverage manufacturer Grattan and Company. Grattan embossed the slogan "The Original Makers of Ginger Ale" on its bottles...

 [or regular ginger ale] to 3 parts cranberry juice).

Health benefits

Cranberry juice is known to have various health benefits. These include:
  • Cranberry juice contains phytochemical
    Phytochemical
    Phytochemicals are biologically active chemical compounds that occur naturally in plants . Phytochemicals are the molecules responsible for the color and organoleptic properties . For example, the deep purple color of blueberries and the smell of garlic...

    s, which may help prevent cancer
    Cancer
    Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...

     and cardiovascular disease
    Cardiovascular disease
    Heart disease or cardiovascular disease are the class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels . While the term technically refers to any disease that affects the cardiovascular system , it is usually used to refer to those related to atherosclerosis...

    .
  • Cranberry juice is high in oxalate
    Oxalate
    Oxalate , is the dianion with formula C2O42− also written 22−. Either name is often used for derivatives, such as disodium oxalate, 2C2O42−, or an ester of oxalic acid Oxalate (IUPAC: ethanedioate), is the dianion with formula C2O42− also written (COO)22−. Either...

    , and has been suggested to increase the risk for developing kidney stone
    Kidney stone
    A kidney stone, also known as a renal calculus is a solid concretion or crystal aggregation formed in the kidneys from dietary minerals in the urine...

    s, although more recent studies have indicated it may lower the risk.


Cranberry Juices are usually free from artificial colourings, making them suitable for those who do not consume food dyes.

Cranberry juice and urinary tract infection (UTI)

Cranberry juice may help prevent and relieve the symptoms of urinary tract infection
Urinary tract infection
A urinary tract infection is a bacterial infection that affects any part of the urinary tract. Symptoms include frequent feeling and/or need to urinate, pain during urination, and cloudy urine. The main causal agent is Escherichia coli...

s by primary and secondary means. The primary means works on the bacteria directly by altering the molecular structure of the fimbriae
Fimbria (bacteriology)
In bacteriology, a Cilli is a proteinaceous appendage in many Gram-negative and some Gram-positive bacteria that is thinner and shorter than a flagellum. This appendage ranges from 3-10 nanometers in diameter and can be up to several micrometers long...

 on the pathogenic strains of the bacteria
Bacteria
Bacteria are a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals...

 that cause the infections. The properties of the proanthocyanidins in cranberries prevents the bacteria from adhering to the surface of the bladder and urinary tract. The secondary means works indirectly on the bacteria by changing the intravesical pH (the pH of the bladder's contents) making it more acidic.

However, results from recent randomized controlled trials have been disappointing. A trial of 319 college women with an acute UTI, failed to show that drinking cranberry juice (8 oz of 27% twice daily) would reduce the incidence of a second UTI. Another study performed in The Netherlands randomised 221 women to receive either co-trimoxazole
Co-trimoxazole
Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole or co-trimoxazole is a sulfonamide antibiotic combination of trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole, in the ratio of 1 to 5, used in the treatment of a variety of bacterial infections.The name co-trimoxazole is the British Approved Name, and has been marketed worldwide...

 or cranberry capsules. That study found that the antibiotics were superior to cranberry capsules, but were associated with an increase in antibiotic resistance. However, in an accompanying editorial, the dose of cranberries used in the study was criticised for being too low.

Health issues

Although cranberry juice may help prevent growth of bacteria, its pH may be as acidic as 2.3–2.5,

Nutritional information

1cup of cranberry juice (253ml) contains the following nutritional information according to the USDA:
  • Calories : 116
  • Fat: 0.33
  • Carbohydrates: 30.87
  • Fibers: 0.3
  • Protein: 0.99
  • Cholesterol: 0
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