Cranberries are one of only three fruits native to North America. The berries grow wild in the northeast, Pacific Northwest and Wisconsin. Growers harvest cranberries by flooding a cranberry "bog" with water and scooping the floating berries up in bins. Makers generally concentrate the juice and and add sugar because of the berries' strong tart flavor.
Ingredients
It takes very few ingredients to produce a bottle of cranberry juice. Filtered water, concentrated cranberries and one or two artificial sweeteners and preservatives are all that go into most leading brands of cranberry juice. One leading brand uses either beet or cane sugar for flavor and supplements the juice with ascorbic acid, more commonly called vitamin C. Cranberry juice blends may include apple and raspberry concentrate, and many sugar-free varieties exist, as well.
Carbohydrate
A serving of a leading brand of cranberry juice contains 30 g of carbohydrate, all of which come in the form of sugar. While sugar can help provide flavor and produce energy, high-sugar diets can lead to weight gain and cardiovascular disease, according to the American Heart Association. Adult women should limit their sugar intake to 6 tsp. a day, while men should consume no more than 9 tsp.
Vitamins and Minerals
Cranberries contain several vitamins and minerals, many of which are essential for regulating all the body's cellular and metabolic functions. A serving of a leading brand of cranberry juice contains 100 percent the daily recommended value for vitamin C, 2 percent for iron and trace amounts of vitamin E, vitamin K, calcium, magnesium, potassium, copper and zinc.
Health Benefits
Cranberry juice contains phytochemicals, or antioxidants that can eliminate harmful agents in the body that damage the immune system. Cranberry juice also contains minerals with anti-adhesion qualities, hydrating the urinary tract and preventing infection. Unsweetened cranberry juice can prevent the growth of bacteria in the mouth and reduce dental plaque.
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