What are cranberries?
Cranberries are one of the few crops that can grow in acidic soil and require a lot of water to grow. Once the branches start to grow, they can last for many years, with some growing for 7 to 10 years before producing fruit, and even some growing for 75 to 100 years before producing fruit.
Global production area: requires special environmental and climatic conditions, the global production area of less than 40,000 acres, mainly grown in the northern hemisphere in the cool zone of acidic peat soil, limited to the northern United States, Canada, and South America, Chile, limited production, very precious, and thus has the ‘ ruby of North America, ’ the name. In China, cranberries are produced in the largest primitive forest - Daxinganling, sparsely populated, away from heavy industry, natural, pure, pollution-free. Fruit period from November to August, the picking period of only 2 months, a huge temperature difference between day and night so that the cranberry in the original anthocyanin and other nutrients content is very high, the annual output of 15,000 tonnes or so, we are the origin of direct picking, origin processing. Manual picking and storage, year-round cold storage at minus 30 degrees.
Differences between wild cranberries and cultivated cranberries:
1. Wild cranberries are small in size, about 0.6cm on average, with dense flesh and berry colour.
2. Taste is sour and astringent
3. Difficult to pick, high content of proanthocyanidins.
Planted cranberry fruits are large, 1.6cm in diameter, with large inner holes, little flesh and white colour. The taste is sweet and sour. Proanthocyanidin content is low.
What is the difference between Wild Cranberry Type A Proanthocyanidins and Grape Seed Type B Proanthocyanidins?
Cranberry products may be effective for specific populations, have low adverse reactions, and do not have bacterial resistance hotspots like antibiotics.
Type B proanthocyanidins are the main type of proanthocyanidins, such as grapeseed, that are the main component of flavonoids ingested from foods of plant origin.
Numerous scientific studies have confirmed that the proanthocyanidins in cranberries are linked by a unique A-type bond, which allows them to specifically bind to bacteria, resulting in the inability of bacteria to colonise and infect the urinary tract, thus exerting an effective resistance to bacterial adherence to the urethral wall such as Escherichia coli and maintaining the health of the urinary tract.A-PAC inhibits intestinal epithelial cell invasion with a greater capacity.
Everything you need to know about the cranberry extract Benefits & Effects:
Antioxidant: Proanthocyanidins in cranberry extract are widely recognised as the most effective natural antioxidant for scavenging free radicals in the human body, with an anti-oxidant capacity of 50 times that of Vitamin E.
Prevents urinary tract infections: Concentrated tannins (proanthocyanidins) in cranberry extract prevent urinary tract infections, especially by inhibiting the adhesion properties of Escherichia coli to the epithelial cells of the urinary tract.
Protecting the stomach and intestines: polyphenols in cranberry extract can induce Helicobacter pylori to become spherical, thus inhibiting its reproduction and preventing it from adhering to the stomach lining, reducing the rate of infection.
Auxiliary anti-tumour: Some studies have pointed out that proanthocyanidins and other substances extracted from cranberries are toxic to cancer cells such as lung cancer, colon cancer, leukaemia cancer, etc., and can effectively inhibit the growth rate of these tumour cells.
Protection of cardiovascular: Flavonol glycosides in cranberry extract can prevent atherosclerosis, have positive effects on cholesterol levels, and prevent arteries from narrowing under the influence of certain enzymes, thus promoting blood circulation.
Protection of oral hygiene: The plant compounds in cranberry extract, especially the A-type proanthocyanidin oligomers, have been experimentally verified as good anti-adhesion compounds, which can reduce the number of bacteria in saliva and reduce the occurrence of periodontitis.
Prevention of gynaecological inflammation: cranberry contains a variety of mucosal repair substances, such as catechins, proanthocyanidins, etc., in the removal of gynaecological toxins at the same time, the first to repair the broken endothelial cells, to remove the pathogenic toxins bedded in the various dead ends.
Forms of Cranberry Extract
Capsules/Tablets: Convenient and standardized for consistent dosing.
Liquid Extracts: Often used for easier absorption.
Powders: Can be added to smoothies or drinks.
Dried Cranberries: Less concentrated but still beneficial.
Dosage
There is no standardized dosage for cranberry extract, but most supplements provide 300–500 mg of cranberry extract per serving, often standardized to contain a certain percentage of PACs (e.g., 36 mg of PACs per dose).
For UTI prevention, studies often use 500–1,500 mg daily.
