Cranberry juice may be more than just a generations-old home remedy to treat or prevent urinary tract infections (UTI). New research presented this week at the annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology suggests the cranberry may also have a future in fighting gastrointestinal viruses that cause countless cases of illness in the U.S. as well as hundreds of thousands of deaths in the developing world, particularly among children.

In fact, say the researchers, it was the recent boom in sales of commercial cranberry-based UTI products that led them to investigate whether cranberry compounds might have antiviral properties. The team tested the juice of the Thanksgiving staple on intestinal viruses found in monkeys and goats, and found that it prevented the viruses from infecting host cells.

The researchers caution, however, that additional studies are needed to determine the effectiveness of cranberry products in combating viruses found in humans. But if the Cranberry Institute, which provided funding for the research, gets its wish, a daily dose of cranberry juice may soon prove to be a good, if very tart, way to stop stomach bugs in their tracks