Cranberry juice and heart risk factors in adults
What it found
In adults with slightly raised blood pressure, drinking cranberry juice for 8 weeks did not change the main blood pressure measure but modestly lowered 24-hour diastolic blood pressure and increased large LDL particles.
The study was in people.
What they found
Studies in people
Central blood pressure
Cranberry juice had no significant effect on the main measure, central systolic blood pressure, or on central or brachial diastolic pressure.
24-hour blood pressure
Cranberry juice lowered 24-hour diastolic ambulatory blood pressure by about 2 mm Hg compared to placebo, with the difference seen during daytime hours and not at night.
LDL particles
Cranberry juice did not change LDL cholesterol but increased the concentration of large LDL particles and LDL size compared to placebo.
HDL efflux
There was no overall effect on HDL efflux, but exploratory analyses found a greater effect on global HDL efflux in participants who were overweight compared to those of normal weight or with obesity.
Inflammation and response
Exploratory analyses suggested that baseline C-reactive protein levels might influence the effects of cranberry juice on blood pressure and lipoproteins.
What the authors conclude
“In this population of adults with elevated blood pressure, cranberry juice supplementation had no significant effect on central systolic blood pressure but did have modest effects on 24-h diastolic ambulatory BP and the lipoprotein profile.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that cranberry juice supplementation did not significantly alter central systolic blood pressure but did have modest effects on 24-hour diastolic ambulatory blood pressure and the lipoprotein profile.
- They advise that future studies are needed to verify these findings and the results of their exploratory analyses related to baseline health moderators.
How it was done
The authors wanted to see whether daily cranberry juice could improve heart and blood vessel risk factors, since cranberries contain plant compounds that have shown antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in lab studies.
They ran a randomised, placebo-controlled crossover trial in 40 middle-aged adults with overweight or obesity and elevated blood pressure. Participants drank 500 mL (about 16 fl oz) of cranberry juice (27% juice) or a matched placebo juice daily for 8 weeks each, with an 8-week break in between.
What it can’t tell you
- This was an 8-week study, so it cannot show what might happen with longer-term cranberry juice consumption.
- The study cannot prove that cranberry juice prevents heart disease or improves health outcomes; it only measured risk factors.
- The exploratory findings about BMI and inflammation need confirmation in other studies.
Who paid
- Funding
- Funded by NCATS NIH HHS; Ocean Spray (from the PubMed record).
- Conflicts
- The authors declare no conflict of interest.
- Authors work at
- University of Arizona, USA; Lafayette College, USA; Pennsylvania State University, USA
The paper
- Title
- Effects of Cranberry Juice Supplementation on Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Adults with Elevated Blood Pressure: A Randomized Controlled Trial
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Richter CK, Skulas-Ray AC, Gaugler TL, Meily S, Petersen KS, Kris-Etherton PM (2021). Effects of Cranberry Juice Supplementation on Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Adults with Elevated Blood Pressure: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Nutrients. doi:10.3390/nu13082618Free full textPubMed 34444779DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error