Is Preventing Cavities a New Use of Cranberry Juice?
Best known for fighting urinary tract infections, unexpected new research shows cranberry juice may prevent cavities in the same way.
100% pure cranberry juice powerfully prevents urinary tract infections because its rich supply of proanthocyanidin flavonoids prevent the infection causing bacteria from adhering to the walls of the urinary tract. Emerging research is suggesting that it may have the same power over the bacteria in your mouth.
Cavities are caused by bacteria in plaque that adheres to your teeth that produce acid that demineralizes the enamel on your teeth. This new study teste cranberry juice’s ability to inhibit those bacteria from sticking to your teeth.
This placebo-controlled study is the first test cranberry juice’s effects on plaque regrowth and acid production. It gave children and adults either water, a 27% cranberry juice cocktail or 100% pure cranberry juice. It asked them to first rinse with, then swallow, 10ml of their drink, 3 times.
In both children and adults, water had no effect on the regrowth of plaque. The cranberry cocktail reduced plaque, but the benefit was not significant. But the 100% pure cranberry juice significantly reduced plaque regrowth.
Similarly, in both children and adults, both water and cranberry cocktail failed to significantly reduce acid production. But the 100% cranberry juice significantly lowered plaque acid production.
This study introduces the possibility that 100% pure cranberry juice may be a valuable drink for oral health and the possible prevention of cavities.
Sci Rep. 2026;16:28663.
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For much more on cranberries, see our book Healthy Herbs: Your Everyday Guide to Medicinal Herbs and Their Use.
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