Cranberry, a fruit which originated in the forests of northern Europe, was estimated to be the second most popular herbal supplement in 2016, and it’s easy to see why.
Cranberries are most popular for preventing urinary tract infections, and they succeed wildly, by wiping out the bacteria which causes it. Naturals antioxidants called proanthocyanidins are behind those benefits, and that brings us to another advantage: cranberries are rich in antioxidants full-stop.
They’re packed with flavonoid antioxidants like myricetin, peonidins, and cyanidins, which deactivate free radicals and protect your brain, eyes, muscles and skin. Cranberries are even richer in antioxidants than strawberries or blueberries, whether as a whole fruit or a conveniently condensed pill.
Then there’s the vitamin C, which can lower stress and enhance your skin tone by increasing collagen production. Do you suffer from stomach upsets or poor digestion? Cranberries may be the solution, by wiping out a deadly strain of gut bacteria called helicobacter pylori, which is even suspected to cause acne.
The magic of cranberries never ends, and remember: these are only the benefits which we’ve discovered. But which is the best brand?
That’s what we’re going to discuss today. Before we begin, a warning: cranberries are extremely safe, but can occasionally cause stomach upsets, nausea, and vomiting. Discontinue supplementation if you notice those side effects.
Let’s get started:
One – Eclectic Institute
Possibly the best cranberry supplement available today. The Eclectic Institute cranberry extract somehow combines supreme quality with an affordable price.
The additives list is incredibly pure, consisting solely of the hypromellose capsule. The extract is made with extreme care; the cranberries are sourced from the USA, and freeze dried rather than spray dried to preserve as many phytonutrients as possible. The cranberries are free from any harsh processing.
Most importantly, this is a standardised cranberry supplement. It is formulated to contain high levels of proanthocyanidins, the vital compounds in cranberry which treat urinary tract infections and enrich your skin. Each capsule contains a powerful 300mg of cranberry extract, which itself contains up to 4.5mg of procyanidins, and 3.0mg of anthocyanins, two subsets of proanthocyanidins.
Why is standardisation so beneficial? Because proanthocyanidins have been identified in studies as the compounds which specifically wipe out helicobacter pylori, the microorganism responsible for digestive havoc. They also have strong antioxidant benefits in the skin, shielding your face against the dulling and life-sucking forces of free radicals. You definitely don’t need a standardised product – studies on raw cranberry juice have also been beneficial for digestive health – but it’s a great bonus, and Eclectic Institute supplies it.
This brand contains 50 capsules, lasting 50 days if you take one capsule daily for 300mg, which should easily be enough (they recommend 2 capsules). Your days of acne could be coming to an end. Finally, Eclectic Institute is made entirely in the USA, with no Chinese influence.
Eclectic Institute is a perfect cranberry supplement in every way.
Amazon link: Eclectic Institute Cranberry.
Two – Oregon’s Wild Harvest
A particularly supreme cranberry supplement. Oregon’s Wild Harvest is a rare brand to be certified organic, specifically by Oregon Tilth.
The cranberries within are all pesticide free, and no chemical-based extraction methods are used. The cranberries are grown in the USA, and the extract is in the patented PACran form. Even better, Oregon’s Wild Harvest is fully standardised, to consist of 1.5% proanthocyanidins for guaranteed benefits.
The ingredients are also minimal, with the organic pullulan capsule being the sole additive. Each capsule contains 250mg of cranberry extract, but an interesting bonus is 170mg of organic rosehip seeds. Rosehip seeds contain some vitamin C themselves, like cranberries, but also have promising anti-ageing properties, which is why rosehip seed oil is a promising topical treatment.
Meanwhile, the capsule count is 60. The cranberry dosage of Oregon’s Wild Harvest is lower than Eclectic Institute, but it’s equally well-formulated. Finally, Oregon’s Wild Harvest is fully manufactured in the USA, with no Chinese influence. It’s also a reputable company, selling an excellent saw palmetto brand too.
Oregon’s Wild Harvest is a particularly pure cranberry extract brand.
Amazon link: Oregon’s Wild Harvest Cranberry.
Three – Sonora Nutrition
One of the more popular cranberry supplements available today is also one of the more effective. Firstly, the dosage is powerful, with 500mg per capsule. The extract itself is a 50:1 extract, meaning that 500mg contains the nutritional equivalent of 25,000mg, or 25 grams of whole cranberries. That’s an extremely impressive total.
The only additives in Sonora Nutrition are cellulose and rice flour. The latter is a harmless capsule filler, a much safer one than the inflammatory corn flour. Sonora Nutrition is free from any harsh additives, like soy, corn, and magnesium stearate. Another benefit is a 90 refund guarantee. There’s full transparency about the source, as the words “Grown in Canada” are displayed proudly on the bottle, followed by “Bottled in USA”.
Sonora Nutrition is also manufactured in a GMP compliant facility, with the manufacturers taking no shortcuts. This cranberry extract is not sourced from China and its booming yet frequently fraudulent supplement market. Finally, Sonora Nutrition features a 60-strong capsule count, delivering two months of nutritional goodness.
Sonora Nutrition will deliver every benefit which cranberries are famous for.
Amazon link: Sonora Nutrition Cranberry Pills.
Four – Natural Nutra
One of the best cranberry supplements available anywhere. Natural Nutra leaves no stone unturned in their quest for an effective yet pure cranberry supplement.
Like Sonora Nutrition, Natural Nutra contains a hefty dosage of 500mg. Like Eclectic Institute, it’s a standardised product but in a different style: this time the product contains a guaranteed 6% quinic acid, another set of beneficial cranberry phytonutrients.
Secondly, Natural Nutra takes great care to process their cranberries properly. The berries are sourced from natural fields across North America, and this brand is certified as organic by the USDA. There are no artificial pesticides or fertilisers fizzing away at the precious phytonutrients here. This brand also uses a glass bottle, with dark amber to filter out penetrating UV rays.
Natural Nutra lives up to this purity with the additives list too; the only extra ingredients are organic palm oil, organic acacia gum and organic rice bran concentrate. Even the additives are organic. Controversial additives like magnesium stearate, corn flour and soy are far away.
Perhaps the only downside is a small supply of 30 capsules. But Natural Nutra’s quality is supreme, making this an excellent brand if you have a few pennies to spare.
Natural Nutra is a cranberry supplement which is nearly impossible to beat.
Amazon link: Natural Nutra Organic Cranberry Extract.
Five – PureCo
PureCo is a cranberry extract which lives up to its name with ease, being free from any magnesium stearate, soy, corn or gluten. It’s also explicitly free from any GMOs and has an official organic certification from the USDA, meaning that every stage of the manufacturing process is inspected.
PureCo is also a particularly affordable cranberry brand, while sacrificing no power whatsoever: there’s a strong 500mg per capsule, and a 60-strong capsule count. The cranberries themselves are confirmed to be grown in both US and Canadian farms – this is a transparent company.
Being organic, this cranberry has guaranteed freedom from toxic pesticides. PureCo’s capsules have a pink/purple colour as you’d hope for, proving that this really is dried and highly condensed cranberry shoved into a convenient capsule.
If you’re suffering from digestive discomfort and hoping that cranberry is the solution, PureCo may easily succeed. There’s only one flaw: a longer list of additives than others. This includes pullulan, brown rice protein, erythritol, sunflower lethicin, medium chain triglycierides. However, these are all safe in these tiny dosages. Each ingredient is certified organic. PureCo is also another powerful 50:1 extract.
If you’re looking for an organic yet affordable cranberry extract, PureCo is hard to beat.
Amazon link: Pure Co Organic Cranberry Pills.
Six – Pure Mountain Botanicals
A cranberry extract which is excellent value for money. Pure Mountain Botanicals features a capsule count of 90 for a 3 month supply.
The dosage isn’t sacrificed either, with a strong 400mg per capsule. This supplement is a 37:1 extract, meaning that the 400mg originates from 14800mg of raw cranberries. These are confirmed to be grown in Canada, with cold soils and climates possibly causing higher quantities of phytonutrients to be generated.
The only additive, meanwhile, is the vegan capsule. Pure Mountain Botanicals features all of the nutrients of cranberries with none of the downsides. Whole, raw cranberries are extremely healthy, and low in sugar, but the problem with the wildly popular cranberry juice is its massive sugar content. One glass contains 31 grams. Far from clearing acne, cranberry juice is likely to worsen it.
The exception is if the remainder of your diet is clean, or if you drink cranberry juice before a workout, but regardless, raw cranberries or a concentrated pill like Pure Mountain Botanicals are the way forward. This brand is manufactured in the USA, in a Good Manufacturing Practises compliant facility. Finally, the cranberry within is standardised to contain 4% proanthocyanins.
Pure Mountain Botanicals meets every requirement for a pure and effective cranberry supplement.
Amazon link: Pure Mountain Botanicals Cranberry Pills.
Seven – Higher Nature
A fairly obscure product, yet one that meets almost all cranberry requirements. With Higher Nature, we have a focussed and effective cranberry extract which makes no mistakes in its ingredients and dosage.
The first advantage of Higher Nature is transparency about their ingredients, as the cranberries within are confirmed to be grown in Canada.
The single additive is the hydroxypropyl methylcellulose capsule, so pure that it lacks even a capsule filler. The dosage is monstrous at 500mg per capsule, with 90 capsules in the bottle. This extract comes in a trademarked form called CranRich which is standardised for the critical proanthocyanins. According to Higher Nature, popping one of their capsules is the equivalent of eating 18 grams of fresh cranberries.
This brand lacks any harmful additives like soy, magnesium stearate or corn. The only slight downside is a lack of USDA organic certification, but the nutrition within is so concentrated and powerful that it won’t be counteracted. Product images show a healthy pink tinge, not a pure white.
Higher Nature is perfect for a dedicated cranberry extract supplement.
Amazon link: Higher Nature Super Strength Cranberry.
Eight – Pure Co powder
Our final cranberry product is a completely different alternative, as it’s a 1.76 ounce bag of cranberry powder. We return to Pure Co, and like their cranberry capsules, this powder is confirmed to be grown in the USA and Canada, rather than China or other mass exporters of cheap products. This is a freeze dried product, avoiding excessive heat. It consists of a sole ingredient: dried and condensed cranberry powder.
Pure Co is certified organic by the USDA, meaning that pesticides and artificial fertilisers are barred completely. The pinkness is completely from raw, wholesome cranberries, rather than bizarre chemical reactions better confined to a lab.
As a powder, Pure Co lacks any particular gimmick, but is still perfect in nearly every way.
Pure Co’s powder comes in a 50:1 ratio, meaning that 1 gram of powder in a tablespoon equals 50 grams of raw cranberries. Other things Pure Co explicitly rejects are added sugar, fillers and GMO ingredients. With this cranberry bag, all your wildest dreams can be fulfilled. Instead of popping a simple capsule, you have endless choices; adding cranberry to smoothies, yoghurts, homemade recipes, even skincare formulas. On the other hand, perhaps you like the convenience of popping a pill.
Pure Co isn’t the cheapest product, coming in a 1.76oz bag, but that’s due to the supreme quality. If you have cash to splash, then Pure Co cranberry powder is an excellent choice.
Amazon link: Pure Co Organic Cranberry Concentrate.
Conclusion
If you live in a forested area of Europe, you may not need to buy a cranberry supplement at all, but regardless, you now know which brands are the best. Eclectic Institute is the greatest brand because of its immensely detailed standardisation, but any brand here will fulfil cranberry’s potential.
Since cranberry is such a popular herbal supplement, gaining popularity each year, the market should only improve from here.
NEXT: the ultimate diet for clearing acne permanently
Thanks for reading!
Are dried cranberries just as good?