Ethical Naturals, Inc. (ENI), the supplier of Cranberex high-potency cranberry extract, has reported a successful cranberry harvest in Oregon, which began in September.

Oregon’s coastal weather, and therefore harvests, are unpredictable, but ENI’s key growers in the region reported positive growth. A colder-than-usual spring held vines back, but the warmer-than-usual summer helped growth catch up.

Annually, the U.S. produces 400,000 tons of cranberry, mostly in Wisconsin and Massachusetts. Small farms on Oregon’s coast produce about 4% of the supply, and these cranberries are best suited for creating extracts with high concentrations of A-type proanthocyanins (PACs). These constituents are responsible for the anti-adhesion activity that supports urinary tract health.

The American Herbal Pharmacopoeia (AHP) reported that, typically, Oregon cranberries have an A-type PAC concentration of 70 mg/100 g, followed by Massachusetts (42 mg/100 g) and Wisconsin (37 mg/100 g).

Oregon is the primary source of cranberries for ENI’s Cranberex, which is standardized to contain 15% A-type PACs, tested by the approved DMAC method. Cranberries contain a wide range of PACs, and A-type PACs only amount to a very small percentage. Thus, very high concentrations and sophisticated extraction methods are required.

Many cranberry extracts are standardized to total PACs, which appear to give much higher test results, despite potentially low A-type PACs content.

A multi-center, randomized clinical study published by Rutgers University researchers in 2017 found that Cranberex exhibited a bacterial anti-adhesion effect in urine based on a 36 mg dosage of cranberry A-type PAC, and found that effectiveness was dose-dependent.