The  compounds  in  cranberry have  long been used by those suffering from urinary tract  infections.   Recent laboratory  studies  with rats now show that cranberry mav help reduce celldamage associated with  strokes too. While consuming cranberries won't stop a stroke  from occurring, if taken during the initial stages of the stroke it may help to reduce the seventy of the cell damage that occurs in the brain. Studies are underway to isolate the specific compound(s) involved, and additional studies, which will hopefully confirm these findings, are already underway.