It’s billed as the ultimate anti-UTI fruit - but some people should steer well clear

A food that comes with a range of health benefits, the cranberry appears to be increasingly popular worldwide.

In the U.S., which is estimated to produce around two-thirds of the planet’s output of the fruit, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) has reported a rise in global demand for cranberries and cranberry products in 2024, with annual exports increasing to just over $350 million.

How do people consume cranberries?

According to the USDA, the cranberry’s popularity comes down not only to its health advantages, but also its “broad appeal”. After all, it is a versatile product that appears in anything from starters and sides, to main dishes, desserts, snacks and drinks.

As is pointed out by Healthline’s Atli Arnarson, the cranberry’s “sharp and sour” taste means people often prefer not it to consume it raw. Most commonly, it is drunk as a sweetened juice, but it can be consumed in a number of other formats. For example: as a sauce, in dried or powdered form, or as an extract in supplements.

What nutrients are in cranberries?

Arnason notes that cranberries are an excellent source of a range of nutrients, especially vitamin C. Particularly helpful in areas like skin, muscle and bone health, Vitamin C is a useful antioxidant that can boost the immune system.

Per WebMD’s Dean Shaban, antioxidants guard against the harmful effects of unstable molecules known as ‘free radicals’. An excess of free radicals may cause damage to cells and make us more vulnerable to illnesses and conditions like cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.

Among other nutrients, cranberries are also a useful source of manganese, a trace mineral that also has a positive effect on bone health, the U.S.’s Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) says. In addition, manganese is necessary “for normal brain and nerve function,” the Mount Sinai Health System explains.

Aside from such accepted benefits, what cranberries are perhaps best known for is their purported ability to prevent urinary tract infections (UTI).

What is a UTI?

According to the U.S.’s Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a UTI is an infection that occurs “when bacteria, often from the skin or rectum, enter the urethra and infect the urinary tract”.

The most common symptoms of a UTI, the CDC says, include pain or burning while urinating, and feeling the need to urinate despite having an empty bladder. Less frequently, if the bacteria reaches the kidneys, it can cause symptoms such as fever, chills and vomiting.

UTIs more regularly affect women than men, the HHS says, because of the design of the female anatomy.

“A woman’s urethra is shorter than a man’s, allowing bacteria better access to the bladder,” the agency explains. “A woman’s urethral opening is also close to sources of bacteria from the anus and vagina. Sexual activity can move bacteria to the urethral opening.”

So do cranberries help against UTIs?

According to the HHS, consumption of cranberry may help to decrease the risk of urinary infections, with some women reported to have reduced their susceptibility to recurrent UTIs by over 30%.

The body reveals that cranberries’ potential ability to help prevent such infections is because they contain proanthocyanidins (PACs), which are thought to play a role in stopping bacteria from building up on the bladder wall.

However, the HHS is also at pains to stress that the results obtained across many studies on cranberries’ association with UTIs remain inconsistent, leaving the fruit’s effectiveness as a prevention method “still in question”.

The HHS also highlights that cranberry isn’t recommended as a way of treating existing UTIs. “People who think they have a UTI should see a health care provider for diagnosis and treatment,” the agency says. “Don’t use cranberry products instead of a proven treatment for a UTI."

In 2020, the U.S.’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it would only allow manufacturers of products such as cranberry juice to advertise that there is “limited” scientific evidence that the fruit reduces the risk of UTIs.

Can cranberries be harmful to your health?

For people who are prone to developing kidney stones, it’s believed that the consumption of cranberries and cranberry products may be a bad idea. That’s because they are understood to be a potential contributor to the formation of the stones.

As Healthline’s Katey Davidson explains, for example, cranberry juice is particularly high in oxalates, which play a role in the creation of kidney stones by binding to calcium. Arnarson agrees: “If you are prone to getting kidney stones, it may be sensible to limit your consumption of cranberries and other high-oxalate foods.”

The HHS, meanwhile, cautions that consumption of excessive amounts of cranberry can lead to stomach upset and diarrhea.

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