Cranberries are among the healthiest berries around. They’re packed with anthocyanins that have been shown to suppress human liver cancer cells in in vitro studies. These potent little berries have also been shown to be effective in vitro against other cancers including brain, breast, colon, mouth, ovary, prostate, and stomach (Source: “Cranberries vs. Cancer,” Nutritionfacts.org).

If you want to incorporate these powerful berries into your diet, I recommend using fresh or frozen berries. Just one cup of whole fresh or frozen berries contains more anthocyanins than 16 cups of cranberry cocktail (i.e., what is marketed in stores as cranberry “juice”) or 7 cups of dried cranberries.

What you’ll probably notice right away is that cranberries are extremely tart — that’s why store-bought cranberry products are loaded with sugar! To tap into cranberry’s natural superpowers, without resorting to using refined sugar, I recommend combining them with other fruit in a smoothie.

This Cranberry Orange Smoothie is refreshingly sweet-tart, with some creaminess from almond butter. I’ve also added chia seeds for extra fiber, and flax seed for healthy fat. The oranges give this smoothie a vitamin C boost — which is important for battling colds, of course, but also good for reducing stroke risk and helping the body absorb iron.