Cranberry is a relatively small, red berry which grows on low-hanging vines in temperate zones in many regions of the United States and other parts of the world. Cranberry is a member of the same family of plants as bilberry and blueberry. Cranberry can be taken as a juice, the whole berry, or from an extract. For maximum health benefit, cranberry juice should be unsweetened. The active ingredients in cranberry include chemical compounds called proanthocyanidins. Proanthocyanidins are potent antioxidants that appear to be able to decrease bacterial adherence to the bladder epithelium cells. The main benefit of this action is that bacteria have less likelihood of grouping together to cause bladder infection, urinary track infections and other related conditions.