New Study Confirms Cranberry Type-A PAC Content

Previous in-vitro research supports the connection between cranberry bioactives and reduced risk of urinary tract infections. Now, a new human study supports the anti-adhesion mechanism of cranberry polyphenols, specifically Type-A proanthocyanidins (PACs), based on their presence in the urine of test subjects.

The study, led by Jeffrey Blumberg, PhD, at Tufts University, and supported by Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc., offers insight into the bioavailability and metabolism of cranberry bioactives.

Jeffrey Blumberg, PhD, professor of nutrition science and policy and director of the Antioxidants Research Laboratory at Tufts University commented: “In the past, many observational studies have attributed various health benefits to the North American cranberry, including the prevention of urinary tract infections and stomach ulcers as well as cardiovascular health. This new evidence provides another step toward supporting the findings of past in vitro studies investigating the anti-adhesion mechanism of cranberry PACs, demonstrating how the high polyphenol content of cranberry juice may help maintain urinary tract health."

The study participants, healthy men and postmenopausal women ages 50-70, consumed a low polyphenol diet for three days followed by a serving of a cranberry beverage equivalent to two servings of Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice Cocktail. Collected at set intervals, urine samples were assessed for flavanols, phenolic acids, anthocyanins and Type-A PACs. Along with the presence of the first three classes of compounds, the results also revealed a measurable concentration of PAC phenolic compounds in the participants’ urine samples. These results suggest that different phenolic constituents found in cranberry juice are absorbed and metabolized at different locations along the gastrointestinal tract in healthy adults.