Cranberry: How Much A-Type PAC the Studies Used (~36 mg/day)
Take at least 36 mg of PAC a day, the cranberry compound studied for urinary tract infections (UTIs). Lower doses showed no clear drop in UTIs. Most labels do not print a PAC number.
Based on published research, not medical advice. Cranberry is not a treatment for a UTI you have now: see a doctor. Take warfarin or get kidney stones? Ask your doctor first.
Ready to buy:
Theralogix TheraCran One$1.20 a day. 36 mg of PAC in one capsule, and on NSF/ANSI 173, a public testing list. Why it is our pick.
Costs are brand prices, checked October 18, 2026.
Which cranberry is right for you?
One capsule of our pick gives 36 mg. These are the other ways to get there.
Want D-mannose too? Take 2 capsules.
TheraCran Max puts 40 mg of PAC and 1,000 mg of D-mannose in a 2-capsule serving. That is a little over 36 mg. It costs $1.34 for 36 mg of PAC at the brand’s price.
Theralogix TheraCran Max
40 mg PAC in 2 capsules
Already have a bottle? Look for “PAC” on it.
If the label states mg of PAC, the calculator below adds up your daily amount. If it only says mg of cranberry, “Pacran,” or “equal to a glass of juice,” there is no way to tell your PAC.
Have UTI symptoms now? See a doctor.
Cranberry was studied for lowering the chance of the next UTI, not for treating one. An infection may need antibiotics.
How much PAC per day
A 2024 review found trials at 36 mg of PAC a day or more lowered the risk of a UTI by about 18%, and lower doses showed no clear drop (Xiong 2024). In a urine test, PAC kept E. coli from sticking, and 72 mg worked better than 36 mg (Howell 2010). So 36 mg is the least to look for.
How to take it
- Take it every day. The trials gave it daily to prevent the next UTI.
- Take it with water at any time of day. No study shows one time works better.
Work out your daily PAC
Enter the numbers from a label that states PAC. You will see your mg of PAC a day against the 36 mg trials linked to fewer UTIs.
Questions people ask
How many cranberry pills should I take a day?
Enough to reach about 36 mg of PAC. That is 1 capsule of TheraCran One or 2 of TheraCran Max. If your label gives no PAC figure, you cannot work it out from the cranberry milligrams.
Is more PAC better?
Maybe. In a urine test, 72 mg of PAC kept bacteria from sticking better than 36 mg (Howell 2010). That was a lab test of urine, not a count of UTIs.
Related guides
- Best cranberry supplement: the products we compared, ranked by PAC and cost
- Cranberry guide: what it is and what the research found
Sources
- Howell AB, et al. “Dosage effect on uropathogenic Escherichia coli anti-adhesion activity in urine following consumption of cranberry powder standardized for proanthocyanidin content.” BMC Infect Dis. 2010. PubMed 20398248
- Xiong Z, et al. “Cranberry supplementation for the prevention of urinary tract infections: a meta-analysis.” Front Nutr. 2024. PubMed 39668896
- PAC amounts and prices from each brand’s own label and store.