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Summary

  • Does cranberry help prevent or treat UTIs?

    Drinking cranberry juice or taking a cranberry supplement may help reduce the risk of recurrent UTIs in women, although the evidence is limited. Drinking the juice is more likely to help than taking a supplement. However, there is no good evidence that cranberry juice or pills can treat an existing UTI. Limited evidence suggests cranberry may reduce symptoms of overactive bladder, lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and symptoms of prostatitis. See What It Does for details.

    There is less evidence of benefit for dried cranberries and cranberry chews, and the benefit of cranberry for UTIs in children remains uncertain.
     
  • What is in cranberry that helps it work against UTIs?

    Cranberries contain a variety of polyphenolic compounds that include proanthocyanidins (PACs). PACs have been shown to limit the ability of E. coli bacteria to adhere to the walls of the bladder and urinary tract. By limiting this adhesion, PACs from cranberry — particularly water-soluble A-type PACS (at 36 mg once or twice per day) — may reduce the risk of urinary tract infections (UTIs). See What It Is for more information.
  • Best cranberry juice or pills?

    ConsumerLab's tests determined the amounts of water-soluble PACs in cranberry products. Amounts per serving ranged nearly 200-fold, from as little as just 0.54 mg to as much as 105.6 mg, and the cost to get 36 mg of PACs ranged from just 35 cents to $21.67. See What CL Found for details.

    Our Top Picks among cranberry juices and supplements each provided the highest amount of PACs among competing brands and did so at much lower cost. This means that you can avoid as many as 153 Calories and get an effective dose of PACs for preventing UTIs by drinking, for example, our Top Pick pure cranberry juice as opposed to a much larger amount of a sweetened cranberry cocktail (see What to Consider When Buying).
     
  • What to look for on cranberry labels?

    When looking at the amounts of PACs listed on labels, it is critical that you also look for the type of PACs (such as A-type PACs versus OSP-PACs), as the units are very different (see PAC Test Methods for details). If the type of PAC is not disclosed, the amount is meaningless.
     
  • Is cranberry safe to use?

    Cranberry beverages or dietary supplements are generally safe for most people, although people with diabetes, those at risk for kidney stones, and those with an aspirin allergy may need to use caution. See Concerns and Cautions for details.

Make sure you're choosing the best cranberry juices or supplements approved in our tests!

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Cranberry juice and supplement brands compared in this review

View Larger Image 7529_large_Azo-Cranberry-2021.png

Azo Cranberry

View Larger Image 7530_large_Ellura-Cranberry-2021.png

Ellura

View Larger Image 7528_large_Lakewood-CranberryJuice-Cranberry-2021.png

Lakewood Organic Cranberry Juice Concentrate

View Larger Image 7525_large_LakewoodOrganic-Pure-Cranberry-2021.png

Lakewood Organic Pure Cranberry

View Larger Image 7526_large_OceanSpray-PureUnsweetened-Cranberry-2021.png

Ocean Spray Pure Unsweetened Cranberry

View Larger Image 7527_large_RWKnudsen-Cranberry-2021.png

R.W. Knudsen Family Just Cranberry

View Larger Image 7531_large_Solaray-CranActin-Cranberry-2021.png

Solaray CranActin

View Larger Image 7532_large_Swanson-Cranberry-2021.png

Swanson Cranberry

View Larger Image 7533_large_Theralogix-TheraCran-Cranberry-2021.png

Theralogix Nutritional Science TheraCran One

View Larger Image 7534_large_TraderJoes-CranberryJuice-2021.png

Trader Joe's 100% Cranberry Juice

View Larger Image 7535_large_TruNature-CranMax-2021.png

Trunature Cran-Max

You must be a member to get the full test results along with ConsumerLab.com's recommendations and quality ratings of ginseng supplements. You will get results for 11 cranberry products selected for testing by ConsumerLab, including five cranberry juices (including one cranberry concentrate) and six cranberry supplements.


In this comprehensive review, you'll discover:
  • Which cranberry juices and supplements passed or failed our testing and why
  • CL's Top Picks among juices and supplements for quality and value
  • The amount of water soluble proanthocyanidins (PACs) in each cranberry product
  • What to look for on cranberry juice and cranberry supplement labels, and why choosing a product that lists the amount of PACs and the testing method used to determine this amount is so important
  • Cranberry dosage for urinary tract infections (UTIs) and overactive bladder (OAB)
  • Potential side effects and drug interactions with cranberry

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Additional Information
Tested through CL's Quality Certification Program prior to, or after initial posting of this Product Review.