Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon)

OriginThe berry from the moor

The name comes from "crane berry": The flower reminded the settlers of the head and beak of a crane.

Cranberries grow as low, creeping dwarf shrubs in the acidic bogs of North America. Indigenous peoples used the berries long before the Europeans, for example in pemmican, a dried meat product. Settlers adopted them, and to this day, cranberry sauce is a traditional accompaniment to turkey at Thanksgiving in the USA.

The berries are cultivated in shallow basins. For harvesting, the fields are flooded, the berries are shaken from the bushes – they float thanks to small air pockets inside and are then skimmed off. The common cranberry, native to Europe (Vaccinium oxycoccos) is a small-fruited relative. The cranberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea) is a separate species with smaller berries that grows in drier soils.

To useWhat cranberries can do for you

Fresh cranberries provide only about 46 kcal per 100 g, approximately 3.6 g of protein. Dietary fiber, 14 mg of vitamin C and just over 1 mg of vitamin E. Their content of [unclear] is noteworthy. Polyphenols: Anthocyanins, flavonols such as quercetin and especially Type A proanthocyanidins. This particular binding method is rare in other types of fruit.

In the laboratory, type A proanthocyanidins inhibit E. coli bacteria from attaching to urinary tract cells with their adhesive threads. A 2023 Cochrane review of 50 studies and nearly 9,000 participants concluded that cranberry products reduce the risk of symptomatic urinary tract infections. Urinary tract infections It can lower the risk – with moderate certainty of the evidence – in women with recurrent infections, in children, and after bladder surgery. In nursing home residents and pregnant women, hardly any benefit was observed.

In 2011, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) rejected a health claim regarding cranberry proanthocyanidins and their ability to fight bacteria in the lower urinary tract, citing insufficient evidence of efficacy. Cranberry can be a preventative measure; however, an acute urinary tract infection with fever, flank pain, or blood in the urine should be treated by a doctor.

IngredientsThis is what's in cranberries

Cranberries contain water, little sugar, plenty of fruit acids (quinic, citric, and malic acid), pectin and other dietary fiber, vitamin C, vitamin E, some vitamin K, and manganese. Secondary plant compounds include type A proanthocyanidins, anthocyanins (cyanidin and peonidin glycosides), flavonols such as quercetin and myricetin, phenolic acids, and triterpenes such as ursolic acid.

Dried cranberries are almost always soaked in sugar syrup and coated with oil to prevent them from sticking together. They then contain around 65g of sugar per 100g. Commercially available juices are mostly sweetened nectars.

Enhanced combinationsWhat makes cranberries stronger

The tart acidity of the cranberry calls for partners - preferably those that don't contain much sugar.

What contradicts itselfIt's best to avoid these combinations.

In the kitchenWhere they belong

• cranberry sauceWith turkey and venison.
• PorridgeWith fresh berries and apple.
• MuesliDried, used sparingly.
• Winter saladWith walnuts and goat cheese.
• ChutneyWith onion, ginger, and vinegar.
• MuffinsFresh berries in the dough.
• compoteWith pear and cinnamon.
• fillingPoultry with bread and herbs.
• trail mixWith nuts and seeds.
• Juice spritzerUnsweetened juice with water.

As a home remedyCranberry spritzer for prevention

Ayurveda & TCMWhat the old systems say

Warning noticesWhen you should be careful

This page provides information and does not replace medical advice. If symptoms persist, please consult a doctor.

Related to the topicRead on and cook along!

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