Cranberry

Cranberry is the berry of Vaccinium macrocarpon, a low shrub grown mainly in North America. The compounds that supplement labels talk about are proanthocyanidins, usually shortened to PACs. These are plant compounds from the fruit, the same family that gives the berry its deep colour. Fresh cranberries taste sharp and sour, so most people meet them as sweetened juice or sauce. A capsule or tablet skips the sugar.

Big milligram numbers on cranberry labels explained

UK shelves are full of cranberry tablets promising 5,000 mg, 15,000 mg, even 30,000 mg. Those are equivalence figures, not the amount inside the tablet. A 300 mg dose of a 50:1 extract can be described as 15,000 mg of cranberry, because that 300 mg was made from 15,000 mg of dried berry. The tablet still holds 300 mg. A bigger front-of-pack number is therefore no proof of a stronger product. You will find both concentrated extracts and whole-berry powders in our wider range of herbal supplements.

The figure that lets you compare products is the PAC content in milligrams, measured with the DMAC method. Research on cranberry has mostly worked with around 36 mg of soluble PACs per day, which is why standardised extracts print that figure on the label. Many budget tablets state no PAC content at all. When it is missing, you have no way to compare one product with another, so this is the first thing to check.

How we choose cranberry at BONO

We judge cranberry on three things: the form of the extract, the dose you actually get, and the combinations that make sense. We prefer extracts that state their PAC content in milligrams, because that is the only number you can compare between brands. Whole-berry powders still have a place at a lower price, and we say so plainly instead of dressing them up. We buy directly from the brands, so every batch is authentic, and our compliance team checks each product before it goes live. We also test products ourselves and have independent labs spot-check batches. You can read how we select brands and products.

The format changes your daily routine, not the strength

What is inside matters more than the shell around it, but the format still decides whether you keep taking it. Tablets are usually the lowest cost per day and often the largest to swallow. Capsules are smaller and easier if big tablets put you off. Gummies taste better, yet they normally carry less cranberry per serving plus a sweetener. Liquid drops suit anyone who cannot swallow pills at all.

Who cranberry suits, and what to expect

Cranberry is mainly chosen by people who want a daily routine without drinking sweetened juice, and it is a popular pick among women looking at urinary health options. We stay careful with wording: the European food safety authority (EFSA) has not approved a health claim for cranberry, so you will not read one from us. Where a product also contains vitamin C, that vitamin carries an approved claim: it contributes to the normal function of the immune system.

Cranberry is often taken alongside D-Mannose or live bacteria cultures, and you can browse our supplements with live cultures if that combination fits your routine. Treat it as a habit rather than a quick fix: give two to three weeks of consistent daily use before you judge whether it earns a place in your cupboard. One practical note for the UK: if you take warfarin, national guidance is to avoid cranberry juice and cranberry products, so speak to your GP or pharmacist first.