What critical trade-off must be considered when consuming commonly marketed commercial cranberry juices to achieve adequate PAC intake?
High amounts of added sugar used to counteract tartness
A significant practical consideration detailed in the text revolves around the preparation method of cranberries, particularly concerning juices. Because fresh cranberries possess a naturally intense tartness, many commercial cranberry juices and cocktail drinks are heavily sweetened with added sugars to make them palatable for mass consumption. This results in a beverage that, while providing some PACs, often comes bundled with a substantial sugar load. This heavy sugar content can potentially negate other dietary health goals. Conversely, pure, unsweetened juice is often too tart to consume in volume, forcing consumers to weigh the benefit of the PACs against the burden of the added sugar when selecting a beverage source.
