How Do I Choose the Best Cranberry Juice?

Cranberry juice is a popular drink, primarily due to its many purported health benefits. Many people drink it to help prevent kidney stones and urinary tract infections. It also helps reduce plaque on your teeth and is rich in antioxidants and phytochemicals, both of which may help prevent disease. Choosing the best juice will primarily depend on whether you are drinking it for taste or its health benefits; as without sugar added, it can be a very tart drink.

If you are drinking cranberry juice for taste alone, or if you just want a refreshing fruit drink, you might prefer a brand that has sugar added. Sugared juice usually either comes in concentrate form or bottled as pure juice. Although the flavor is sweeter, the added sugar does diminish the health benefits. Sweetened juice often comes mixed with other fruit juices as well, such as strawberry, which can make for a more flavorful drink.

For maximum health benefits, choose a juice that is made solely from cranberries, without any added sugar or other juices, and one that is not made from concentrate. Many brands made only of cranberry juice are available and some companies sell juices made from either conventionally grown cranberries or organically grown berries. If you want an organic juice, be sure to check the label closely and verify it says organic, as opposed to "natural" or some other vague term.

Once you decided what type of juice you want, checking with friends, relatives or co-workers can be helpful in getting feedback on the best brand to buy. Online review sites that specialize in food and drink are also good places to check, although you should be aware that anonymous reviews are sometimes written by employees or other paid representatives for a manufacturer. Talking to employees of grocery stores or health food stores that sell cranberry juice is also helpful. Some manufacturers will send you a sample or a coupon for a small bottle of juice if you write and ask them for it.

In addition to grocery stores, produce stores and health-food stores, many local farmers’ markets offer fresh cranberry juice for sale. Farmers’ markets are good places to find organic juice, too. If you want to purchase a large supply of juice, shopping online is often helpful, as is joining a discount club; many of the bulk prices they offer are less expensive in the long run than purchasing from a retail store.