Cranberry
Vaccinium macrocarpon AitonEricaceae // fruit
Overview
Plant parts
fruit
Known constituents
A-type proanthocyanidins, organic acids
Research corpus coverage
Chemistry notes
- CHEMISTRY: Relevant reported constituents include A-type proanthocyanidins; organic acids; constituent presence alone does not establish clinical efficacy.
Uses & Evidence
Traditional / historical use
Documented traditional use — not a claim of established efficacy.
TRADITIONAL: Cranberry has been used for urinary-tract health; this records historical/traditional use and does not establish efficacy.
MODERATE · evidence synthesis/fact sheet · NCCIH Herbs at a Glance
Modern evidence
EVIDENCE: For the major use set (urinary-tract health), the evidence assessment is well-supported: Well-supported for reducing recurrent UTI risk in some populations; not supported as treatment of an active UTI.
HIGH · regulatory monograph and mixed scientific literature · Cochrane: Cranberries for preventing urinary tract infections
Preparation
Forms used traditionally
A listed form does not imply it suits every plant part, or that one preparation is interchangeable with another — see the plant’s own notes below.
PREPARATION: The medicinal material is fruit; traditional and modern forms include infusion/tea, tincture, powder/capsule, extract. No dose or potency is specified.
MODERATE · regulatory monograph · EMA European Union herbal monographs and list entries
Preparation-specific evidence should not be generalized across extracts, teas, oils, or whole herb.
Safety
Additional safety notes (general, unstructured)
Free-text safety notes carried from their source — not broken out by species, route, or hazard type, and not equivalent to the structured records above. Each note names the kind of source it came from.
SAFETY: Major issues include GI upset; kidney-stone concern in susceptible people. Contraindications/cautions include History of oxalate stones caution.
MODERATE · observational/case series and expert review · LiverTox: Herbal and Dietary Supplements
SAFETY: Clinically relevant interaction concerns include Warfarin interaction reports are inconsistent; monitor due to case reports.
MODERATE · observational/case series and expert review · LiverTox: Herbal and Dietary Supplements
Some interactions are theoretical or based on case reports/pharmacokinetics rather than outcome trials.
SAFETY: Pregnancy/lactation reference: Generally food-safe; medicinal-product pregnancy/lactation data are limited.
MODERATE · regulatory monograph or evidence synthesis · NCCIH Herbs at a Glance
Absence of evidence is not evidence of safety.
Preparation × species risk matrix
Unknown means insufficient evidence was located — not that a form is safe.
Cats
- tinctureCaution
- concentrated extractUnknown
- essential oilUnknown
- glyceriteUnknown
- infused oilUnknown
- salveUnknown
- smoke/combustionUnknown
- tea/infusionUnknown
- whole herbUnknown
Dogs
- tinctureCaution
- concentrated extractUnknown
- essential oilUnknown
- glyceriteUnknown
- infused oilUnknown
- salveUnknown
- smoke/combustionUnknown
- tea/infusionUnknown
- whole herbUnknown
Identity
- Possible adulterantBlack mulberry
Morus nigra extract has been reported in products represented as cranberry.
Why it matters: Substitution changes proanthocyanidin composition and invalidates cranberry-specific dosing assumptions.
HIGH · Chemical Authentication of Botanical Ingredients: A Review of Commercial Herbal Products
Botanical synonym
Oxycoccus macrocarpus (Aiton) Pursh
Taxonomic identity note
- Cranberry is treated here as Vaccinium macrocarpon Aiton in the family Ericaceae; recorded older names include Oxycoccus macrocarpus (Aiton) Pursh.
Sources
Research records are source-linked but may not yet be editorially reviewed.
- NCCIH Herbs at a Glance2 claims
NCCIH fact sheet
NIH LiverTox monograph
- Plants of the World Online1 claim
botanical taxonomy database
EMA monograph
systematic review
WHO monograph
peer-reviewed authentication review