Medicinal benefits: There's some evidence that taking echinacea may reduce your risk of catching colds.According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, people who took echinacea reduced their risk of contracting a cold by as much as 58 percent compared to people who didn't use it. Its also may help to stimulate the immune system to improve general health and improve some types of cancer. Meanwhile for years, cranberry has been touted as the natural way to prevent and treat bladder and urinary tract infections (UTI). Certain sugars and a type of enzyme called flavanol found in cranberries have been thought to prevent infections by keeping bacteria from clinging to cells in the urinary tract.