Herb Profile

Cranberry Vaccinium Macrocarpon

Vaccinium macrocarpon

Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) is a tart North American berry whose A type proanthocyanidins are thought to reduce the ability of E.

Last reviewed: 4 sources citedReport a correctionProfile-wide ·B Moderate

Use extra caution Generally safe; GI upset possible; high intake may increase kidney stone risk Details

Evidence
Moderate Evidence
Typical onset
Varies by prep
Safety rating
High caution
Best for
Antimicrobial, Stress resilience
Avoid / review if
History Of Kidney Stones (Oxalate), Warfarin (Case Reports Of Interaction), Potential Additive Bleeding Risk When Combined With Anticoagulant Or Antiplatelet Medications
Cranberry Vaccinium Macrocarpon monograph visual
Generated profile category visual

At a glance

From this profile's structured data
Evidence
Grade B
Safety
Generally safe; GI upset possible; high intake may increase kidney stone risk
Profile context
antimicrobial
Next steps

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Safety

Safety & Cautions

Generally safe; GI upset possible; high intake may increase kidney stone risk

High caution

Caution level: High. Multiple caution categories apply, or the record uses avoid/contraindication language.

  • Interaction-AwareMedication or interaction context is explicitly noted.
  • Anticoagulant CautionBleeding or anticoagulant-adjacent caution language is present.
Detailed safety fields

Pregnancy, breastfeeding, and contraindications

  • History Of Kidney Stones (Oxalate)
  • Warfarin (Case Reports Of Interaction)
  • Potential Additive Bleeding Risk When Combined With Anticoagulant Or Antiplatelet Medications

Safety classifications

  • Interaction-Aware: Medication or interaction context is explicitly noted.
  • Anticoagulant Caution: Bleeding or anticoagulant-adjacent caution language is present.

Full safety note

  • Generally safe; GI upset possible; high intake may increase kidney stone risk

Safety labels

  • Interaction-Aware
  • Anticoagulant Caution

Evidence-based safety

Caution when combined

Severity and certainty are shown separately. A high-priority caution can still be theoretical: these pairings are screened from shared contraindication mechanisms and are not automatically documented clinical interactions. Provenance identifies the source fields that produced each flag; it does not upgrade the certainty of the pairwise claim.

Evidence

Evidence Summary

Evidence lens

Useful signal, but study design, dose, and population still matter.

ModerateModerate Evidence

Human clinical evidence: Present in source signals

Mechanistic / preclinical: Mechanism mappedOxidative Stress Modulation

Research maturity: Established researchLong Term Human Evidence May Be Limited.

Safety boundary: Safety note availableGenerally safe; GI upset possible; high intake may increase kidney stone risk

This profile cites 4 human studies.

Study design details
Evidence Grade

Grade B: Moderate Evidence

Evaluation of methodological rigor, population reach, and evidence alignment.

Design Match
Systematic review
Risk of Bias
Low
Consistency
Not assessed
Strongest recorded design is a systematic review, drawn from 5 recorded studies, 2 in people.
How evidence grades work

Each grade reflects the strength and consistency of published human evidence — not marketing claims. Grades are based on study count, design quality, effect size, consistency, and recency.

Strong
Multiple RCTs, consistent direction, adequate effect size
Moderate
Some RCTs or consistent observational data in humans
Preliminary / Mixed
Animal or in-vitro only, or conflicting human data
Traditional / Theoretical
Traditional use only; no controlled human trials
Clinical Study Summaries (4)1 human evidence source · 0 human trials · Participant totals not consistently reported · Consistency not yet classifiable

Filter by study class

Showing 4 of 4 studies.

What the evidence actually shows

This table contains 4 structured sources, including 1 human evidence source; 0 are human trials.

StudyDesignNDoseDurationPopulationOutcomeResult & magnitudeSource

Cranberries for preventing urinary tract infections

PubMed · Cochrane Database Syst Rev · 2023

Background
Systematic review

Uses a predefined method to find and evaluate relevant studies, but may or may not pool their results statistically.

PubMed

Cranberry Polyphenols and Prevention against Urinary Tract Infections: Relevant Considerations

González de Llano D et al. · Molecules · 2020

Background
Narrative review

Summarizes selected literature without the full prespecified search and selection methods of a systematic review.

PubMed

Cranberry

PubMed indexed authors · 2006

Background
Narrative review

Summarizes selected literature without the full prespecified search and selection methods of a systematic review.

PubMed

Safety and efficacy of cranberry (vaccinium macrocarpon) during pregnancy and lactation

Dugoua JJ et al. · Can J Clin Pharmacol · 2008

Background
Narrative review

Summarizes selected literature without the full prespecified search and selection methods of a systematic review.

PubMed

Dosing & Timing

Dose guidance
Juice: 240 300 mL/day; standardized extract (~36 mg proanthocyanidins/day); variability across products
How Cranberry Vaccinium Macrocarpon works

Simplified mechanism pathway based on preclinical and pharmacological evidence. Does not confirm clinical efficacy.

Mechanism Pathway — How Cranberry Vaccinium Macrocarpon Works

How Cranberry Vaccinium Macrocarpon WorksCranberry Vaccinium Macrocarpon acts on biological target pathways via antioxidant, leading to antimicrobial.Cranberry Vaccinium MacrocarponBiological TargetBiological pathwayAntioxidantAntimicrobialObservable outcome
CompoundTarget / ReceptorMechanismEffect / Outcome
Mechanisms & biological pathways (preclinical)
  • Oxidative Stress Modulation

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Review available sources for Cranberry Vaccinium Macrocarpon

Independent database mapping — evaluated separately from safety and efficacy scores.

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Safety first · Harm reduction

This information is educational and not medical advice. Start low, avoid risky combinations, and consult a licensed clinician before making health decisions—especially if you use medications, have diagnosed conditions, or are pregnant/breastfeeding.

Learn how we evaluate confidence, safety, and intensity on the methodology page.

Editorial Review

Checked against primary sources, cited evidence, and contraindication language before publication. Evidence claims, safety language, and affiliate modules are reviewed independently. Not personal medical advice.

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