Cranberry juice is an exceptional superfood. It's loaded with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that place your body on a path of healthy living. While cranberry juice is known for lowering instances of urinary tract infections, what (if anything) does it have to do with your gut?
For those who suffer from IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) and deal with chronic constipation because of a lack of water in their diets, cranberry juice may have some positive effects. However, there is no definitive proof that cranberry juice helps you poop.
Published: November 7, 2022.
Cranberry juice is an excellent beverage for the purpose of hydration. For those who don’t spend much time drinking water, cranberry juice will facilitate bowel movements but not because it's cranberry juice. Water would do the same thing since it's a matter of hydration.
Cranberry Juice and Gut Health
Most people who struggle with constipation don’t get enough water in their diets. Eight glasses per day are the general scientific consensus on how much water we should consume each day.
It's understandable that some people just don’t want to water. It's refreshing, but it's not exactly flavorful. Cranberry juice will happily fill that void, hydrating your body without serving as a diuretic.
Improves Gut Health
The two things that give cranberry juice its distinct flavor are salicylic acid and salicylate. These two compounds are responsible for that extra tart flavor that is almost but not quite sour.
However, they do more than just give cranberry juice its tart flavoring, they also promote gut health. While good gut health doesn’t necessarily help you poop more, it does help you poop regularly. If you are someone who poops every three or four days, pooping regularly would be an increase.
Recent studies have shown that the two compounds mentioned above increase the good bacteria in your gut, decreasing the bad. Everyone has good and bad bacteria in their guts. The good bacteria are responsible for breaking down much of the food that passes into your gut, which the body then uses.
Digestion takes place to a greater degree in the small intestines and the colon than it does in the stomach. For people who deal with chronic constipation and IBS, E. coli is frequently present in the gut. Cranberry juice helps to reduce the amount of E. coli and other potentially harmful or disruptive bacteria in the gut.
Not only does it reduce the efficacy of harmful bacteria, it actively kills them. With a better gut constitution, pooping can become a more regular thing. You could view that as cranberry juice “making you poop more.”
However, what it's really doing is returning your body to a necessary balance point where your bowel movements are more regular than they were before.
Hydration and Bowel Movements
Hydration is directly related to bowel movements, not just to your rate of urination throughout the day. Anything will make you pee, especially things like coffee and energy drinks, both of which are considered to be diuretics.
Diuretics are consumables that flush water from your body. Not only are you not getting enough water in your diet, but you’re also flushing available water from your system if you indulge in caffeine-heavy products, such as coffee, energy drinks, sodas, and tea.
There is definitely a correlation between dehydration and constipation. People who consume less water are typically constipated more or poop less frequently than what is considered “regular.” Cranberry juice is not as hydrating as water, but it's pretty close.
It's close enough that it can easily be a stand-in for water consumption throughout the day, especially for those who just don’t like to drink water that much. So cranberry juice helps regulate bowel movements in two ways.
The first is through the increase in good gut bacteria that coincides with a reduction in bad gut bacteria. The second is through hydration. If you start drinking cranberry juice on a regular basis, you may notice a drastic increase in bowel movements each day.
Not only does cranberry provide you with fresh water for hydration, but it also provides electrolytes, which provide aid for your body’s systems to promote muscle growth, repair tissues, replaces red blood cells, boosts immune system functions, and so much more.
All of these things play a role in how your bowels function because so much happens as food is processed through your small intestines and colon. Your overall health has everything to do with how often and how productive your bowel movements are. It's undeniable that cranberry juice benefits your overall health.
Health Benefits Derived from Cranberry Juice Intake
Health benefits from consuming cranberry juice have a direct impact on your digestive system, which includes how often and how well you poop. Additional studies have revealed the power of cranberries, especially in promoting good bacteria in the gut.
Helicobacter Pylori (H. Pylori)
H. Pylori is a harmful bacteria that is frequently found alongside the likes of E. Coli in people that are dealing with constipation and Irritable Bowel Syndrome issues. The benefit of cranberries is that they’ve been shown to halt H. Pylori in its tracks.
H. Pylori bacteria causes stomach ulcers and facilitates the production of cancer cells in the stomach, ultimately causing stomach cancer.
Cranberry Juice is an Excellent Source of Vitamins C and E
Vitamin C is an essential vitamin that helps bolster your immune system. Your immune system is also greatly affected by the health of your gut. Cranberry juice improves your immune system on two fronts—by improving your overall gut health and boosting your immune system with an infusion of Vitamin C.
Vitamin E basically runs through your entire body, gobbling up free radicals, which makes it a potent antioxidant. It also facilitates healthy blood cells, which are necessary for gut health. Blood rushes to your stomach, intestines, and colon when you are digesting food, where it's used to help break down what you consume because it supports those organs.
Vitamin K and Vitamin B6
Though cranberry juice doesn’t supply you with levels of Vitamin K and B6 equivalent to that of C and E, it still offers 11% of your daily Vitamin K intake and 8% of B6. Vitamin K is converted to K2 in the gut and stored by your small intestine.
While Vitamin K is important for blood clotting and bone metabolism, it can’t serve these functions if your gut is not healthy enough to properly convert and store it.
Vitamin B6 aids your digestive system in a number of ways because it supplies six, major B vitamins.
- Vitamin B1: Helps your gut convert carbs into energy
- Vitamin B3: Lack of B3 causes diarrhea and vomiting, and it helps your gut breakdown fats and carbs
- Vitamin B6: Helps your gut process proteins
- Biotin: The same functions as Vitamin B6, with the addition of processing cholesterol
Cardiovascular System Benefits
Cranberries help to fight off inflammation. It's not going to work like ibuprofen, inflammation is problematic in the cardiovascular system, and it also happens to be problematic in the gut. This is especially true for those dealing with irritable bowel syndrome.
It also helps to reduce your systolic blood pressure and your diastolic blood pressure. These benefits were discovered in a study conducted in 2015. Anything that lowers blood pressure in adults who frequently deal with high blood pressure is a good thing.
Constipation and Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Most of the underlying causes for constipation and Irritable Bowel Syndrome are things we can control in our lives, such as our diets and lifestyles. Some of us are bound to deal with it because we have to take certain medications.
Any medicine that works as a diuretic is high in iron, an antidepressant, an opioid, or even an antacid can cause significant problems in the digestive tract. Fortunately, things like cranberry juice can help to counteract that unhealthy balance and restore some semblance of normalcy to your digestive system.
Combatting unhealthy bowel movements starts with a healthy diet change, which should include a healthy amount of cranberry juice. One of the best things you can do is increase your overall intake of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
Cranberry juice falls on the fruits and vegetable spectrum by providing your body with Vitamin C and other nutrients that help combat bad bacteria in your gut and other areas throughout the body.
If you are already experiencing regular, daily bowel movements, cranberry juice isn’t going to make you go more. It's not designed to do that. However, if you go once every three days and experience IBS or constipation, cranberry juice may help with that.
If it does improve your ability to go, you need to. Don’t avoid going to the bathroom just because you’re not used to going so often. That will just make an improving situation worse.
All Things Considered
Cranberry juice doesn’t make you poop more. What it will do is help to alleviate the problems keeping you from pooping.
Most people suffer from chronic constipation and IBS because of their medications or diets, without realizing there are nutritional supplements out there that can help. Cranberry juice is certainly one of them.
FAQs
Does Cranberry Juice Make You Poop? ›
Cranberry juice can help relieve constipation, but it can also cause diarrhea if you drink too much. It is important to drink in moderation and also to make sure you're getting enough fiber and fluids if you are trying to relieve constipation.
Is cranberry juice a laxative? ›A moderate amount of cranberry juice has no known harmful effect, but an excessive intake may have a laxative effect.
Does cranberry juice give you diarrhea? ›Drinking too much cranberry juice might cause some side effects such as mild stomach upset and diarrhea in some people.
Does cranberry juice clean your gut? ›Cranberry juice is a very healthy drink that provides a wide range of useful nutrients. These nutrients support many functions throughout the body that work to cleanse your system of toxins, waste, and bacteria.
What does cranberry juice do for your 🐱? ›Cranberry juice, extracts and supplements are often recommended to prevent or cure UTIs. That's because there are special ingredients in cranberries called A-type proanthocyanidins (PACs) that can prevent bacteria from sticking to the bladder wall.
What are the side effects of drinking cranberry juice? ›Although cranberry juice is safe to consume in moderation, drinking too much can cause side effects such as upset stomach, diarrhea, and blood sugar spikes. In the past, it was believed that cranberry juice can slow the growth of bacteria and therefore is useful in treating urinary tract infections.
How long does it take for cranberry juice to have an effect? ›Experts report that within eight hours of drinking cranberry juice, the juice could help prevent bacteria from developing into an infection in the urinary tract," Dr. Bharati further adds.
What happens if I drink too much cranberry juice? ›Cranberry has relatively high levels of oxalate, chemicals that may raise the risk of kidney stones in some people. If you have kidney stones, talk to your doctor before taking cranberry supplements or drinking a lot of cranberry juice.
How much cranberry juice is too much? ›Avoid drinking more than 1 liter (34 ounces) of cranberry juice daily over a long period of time. You could develop kidney stones with long-term use of cranberry juice in large amounts.
What color is cranberry juice stool? ›Certain foods may cause your stools to look red. These include cranberries, tomatoes, beets, or food that is dyed red. Other foods may cause your stools to look black. These include blueberries, dark leafy vegetables, or black licorice.
What juice flushes out your stomach? ›
Lemon Juice
With the high amount of antioxidant properties lemon juice contains, lemon juice is another drink that can be used for colon cleansing. Mix lemon juice with sea salt, honey, and a glass of lukewarm water. For best results, drink this mixture in the morning on an empty stomach.
Drinking cranberry juice regularly is associated with other disease prevention and may relieve high blood pressure and lower cholesterol. It is also associated with heart health, and most healthy adults can incorporate it into their daily diet.
What is the best time to drink cranberry juice? ›Drinking a glass of fresh cranberry juice in the morning on an empty stomach is considered the best practice.
Does cranberry juice help u taste better? ›Dr. Rudolf Probst from Audiology Research tells us just how well cranberries help pH balance, which overall improves your semen. Snag some solo or in juice form to help potentially enhance the taste of your cum.
Can I drink cranberry juice before bed? ›It's rich in sleep-promoting nutrients, such as vitamin C and B vitamins. The antioxidants it contains also help reduce inflammation in your body, which is thought to interfere with sleep quality. Drink 8 ounces of pure cranberry juice before bed to fall asleep faster and get more restful sleep.
How much cranberry juice should you drink a day? ›Sipping it on the regular can be good for you, but moderation is key. “For most people, I recommend no more than one cup of unsweetened pure cranberry juice per day,” Tamburello says. (FYI: Even though you buy the kind with no added sugars, the fruit does contain natural sugars to be mindful of.)
What not to take with cranberry juice? ›- anisindione.
- dicumarol.
- warfarin.
The cranberry juice side effects are described as follows: Cranberry juice contains a high amount of oxalate and long-term intake may precipitate urinary stone formation, which might lead to kidney stones. However, if you already have kidney-related issues, we recommend you avoid having the juice.
Is cranberry juice good for your Virginia? ›Cranberry juice
Compounds in cranberries could balance the vagina's pH level, and its acidic property helps fight bacteria that cause infections.
Cranberry juice
The berries' acidity can irritate the bladder, and although its diuretic action helps flush out the bladder and urethra, it will also make you go more frequently.
Is it OK to drink straight cranberry juice? ›
Unsweetened, pure cranberry juice is a good source of both vitamin C and vitamin E. It's also a decent source of several other vitamins and minerals, including: vitamin C: 26% of the daily value (DV) vitamin E: 20% of the DV.
How many times a week can you drink cranberry juice? ›Research shows that the juice may lower the risk of heart disease and prevent urinary tract infections. But that doesn't mean you should go overboard. Because it's high in sugar and a poor source of dietary fiber, cranberry juice consumption should be capped at one or two glasses per day.
Is it OK to drink 100% cranberry juice? ›Pure cranberry juice is an excellent source of vitamin C and vitamin E. It's also a good source of most B vitamins and vitamins K and A, as well as many minerals and antioxidants. It can help maintain immune, cardiovascular, skin and organ health among other things.
Does cranberry juice give you gas? ›Does cranberry juice make you gassy? Cranberry juice should not cause gassiness. If you experience excess gas, this may be a sign that you are in need of digestive support.
Should you dilute cranberry juice? ›If you find pure cranberry juice too tart, dilute it with water to make it more palatable.
Does Ocean Spray cranberry juice Help UTI? ›Research shows drinking Cranberry Juice Cocktail daily can help maintain urinary tract health and help reduce the recurrence of urinary tract infections. In addition, you can get urinary tract health benefits from a variety of other products, including 100% Pure Cranberry Juice.
How many bottles of cranberry juice should I drink? ›That said, a common recommendation is approximately 400 millilitres of cranberry juice drink (containing at least 25 percent cranberry juice) per day.
Is cranberry juice OK for diarrhea? ›Water can sometimes be nauseating when you have diarrhea. Ganjhu recommends diluting it with fruit juice, like cranberry or apple juice, to make it easier to tolerate.
What color is COVID stool? ›COVID-19-related diarrhea and nausea
Diarrhea caused by COVID-19 tends to be more watery, yellow or green in color. It may be accompanied by cramping and bloating.
Common benign (non-serious) causes — If you see a small amount of bright red blood on the toilet paper after wiping, on the outside of your stool, or in the toilet, this may be caused by hemorrhoids or an anal fissure. Both of these conditions are benign, and there are treatments that can help.
How do I completely clear my bowels? ›
Increase fiber intake through whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water and other fluids. Use natural laxatives like herbal teas, aloe vera, and fermented foods. Try a saltwater flush or colonic irrigation under the guidance of a medical professional.
How do you get rid of old poop in your colon naturally? ›- Detox by drinking more water. The easiest way to detoxify your colon is to drink more water. ...
- Detox by dieting. Diuretic foods and herbs can help the body expel waste and speed up detoxification. ...
- Detoxify through exercise. ...
- Change your pooping posture. ...
- Take probiotics to improve gut health. ...
- Look into a colon cleanse.
- Apples or apple cider vinegar. Apples are rich in fiber and promote healthy digestion. ...
- Avocados. This fruit has both soluble and insoluble fibers at a ratio of one to three. ...
- Broccoli. Almost everyone likes broccoli. ...
- Spinach. ...
- Lemon. ...
- Garlic. ...
- Water.
Pure, unsweetened cranberry juice is best, a good source of vitamins C and E – both antioxidants. However, it has a naturally intense, acidic taste. It also can be hard to find, and it can be pricey. At the end of the day, it's a personal choice.
Is cranberry juice better for you than water? ›If you replace lost fluids with plain water, you can end up diluting essential electrolytes like sodium until your cells can't function properly. For proper hydration you need both electrolytes and water. So the minerals in cranberry juice can help keep you hydrated, but at the cost of a high sugar intake.
How often should a woman drink cranberry juice? ›There is no officially recommended daily intake of cranberry juice. However, many experts suggest drinking 1–2 cups (240–475 ml) per day to reap the most health benefits. To get the most benefit from cranberry juice, it's best to drink it unsweetened.
What is the best way to drink cranberry juice? ›Cranberry juice goes best with orange juice and orange-flavored liqueurs. The orange enhances the cranberry flavor in the best possible way! Other great mixers for cranberry juice are grapefruit juice and pineapple juice. Cranberry juice also goes well with alcohols such as vodka, rum, gin, champagne, or red wine.
What kind of cranberry juice is good for yeast infection? ›Food #1: Cranberry juice
You may have heard that drinking unsweetened cranberry juice might help reduce the risk of developing vaginal yeast infections. Yeast infections, which occur when the healthy balance of vaginal yeast becomes unbalanced, affect as many as three in four women at some point in their lives.
If you're craving cranberry juice, it could be because you're deficient in Vitamin C, which is an important nutrient. Cranberry juice has a lot of other nutrients in addition to vitamin B12, manganese, and folate.
How long does it take for pineapple to make you taste good? ›How long does it take for pineapple to make your sperm taste good? Generally it takes about 12 to 24 hours for any change to occur. Here then are 10 simple do's and don'ts to improve the taste of your sperm and make your semen taste better and sweeter: 1.
Which juices are best at night? ›
Tart cherry juice is a perfect drink to consume before sleep as it contains sleep-regulating compounds – melatonin, tryptophan, potassium, and serotonin.
Is cranberry juice good for the skin? ›Its high acid content aids in collagen production which in turn makes the skin look soft, radiant and glowing. Cranberry juice also has anti-ageing properties and consuming it on a daily basis can prevent the occurrence of wrinkles on the skin, thus making your face and skin look fresh and youthful.
Is 100 cranberry juice the same as pure cranberry juice? ›Unsweetened 100% cranberry juice: This type of cranberry juice may also be called “pure cranberry juice.” It doesn't contain any form of sweetener – no sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, or any other kind of fruit juice. Cranberries are naturally low in sugar, so the final product is extremely tart.
Is cranberry pills better than juice? ›Studies have pointed out that due to the added sugars and water that dilute the cranberry juice, cranberry capsules are a more effective alternative. In fact, it turns out that the active ingredient in cranberries that helps prevent E. coli from turning into an infection may not even be present in cranberry juice!
Is there too much sugar in cranberry juice? ›That said, it's high in sugar and can cause a blood sugar spike, which can be a concern if you have diabetes. Opt for pure, unsweetened cranberry juice and stick with a 1/2-cup (125-mL) serving, which provides around 15 grams of carbs from naturally occurring sugar.
What drinks are good to relieve constipation? ›Water, clear soups, fruit juice without added sugar, herbal teas, and other drinks can help relieve constipation. Hydration is essential for keeping the stool soft. Juices can also contain dietary fiber, sorbitol, or other nutrients that support digestive health.
Can cranberry juice make your stomach work? ›Stomach health.
Antioxidants in cranberry juice, particularly A-type proanthocyanidins, can help prevent the growth of a bacteria called Helicobacter pylori that causes stomach ulcers. Drinking cranberry juice may help reduce infections of this bacteria.
Try natural laxatives that work fast for constipation relief, which include: aloe vera, leafy greens, chia and flax seeds, high fiber fruits, probiotic foods, and coconut water. Also make sure to drink plenty of water/fluids when consuming natural laxatives, since these work with high fiber foods to help soften stool.
What's the fastest constipation relief? ›The fastest way to get constipation relief is to use OTC laxatives that are administered rectally. These include saline and mineral oil enemas as well as glycerin and bisacodyl rectal suppositories. Common OTC products in this group include Fleet enema, Pedia-Lax, and the Magic Bullet.
Is cranberry juice or apple juice better for constipation? ›There are other juice choices, such as prune juice (high in fiber) and apple juice (high in sugars that have mild constipation-reducing effects), that may be a better solution for constipation than cranberry juice.
Why am I so gassy but not pooping? ›
Why do people have so much gas but cannot poop? Factors such as not drinking enough fluids or not eating enough fiber can cause constipation and make the stool hard to pass. A person can speak with their doctor to assess why they have constipation and gas.
How do I empty my bowels every morning? ›Try to sit on the toilet 15 to 20 minutes after breakfast. Do not ignore the call to open your bowels. Putting off the call to go can cause constipation. Try to work with the body's natural rhythm (emptying the bowel first thing in the morning).
What should you avoid when constipated? ›- chips.
- fast food.
- meat.
- prepared foods, such as some frozen meals and snack foods.
- processed foods, such as hot dogs or some microwavable dinners.
1. Prunes. Dried plums, known as prunes, are widely used as a natural remedy for constipation. They contain high amounts of fiber, with nearly 3 grams of fiber per 1/4-cup (40-gram) serving.
What is the strongest natural laxative? ›Magnesium citrate is a powerful natural laxative. Magnesium citrate has been shown to be more bioavailable and better absorbed in the body than other forms of magnesium, such as magnesium oxide. Magnesium citrate increases the amount of water in the intestinal tract, which causes a bowel movement.
What food is the strongest laxative? ›- Papaya. 100g of papaya contains 2g of fiber, as well as a great amount of magnesium, which is a mineral that aids in intestinal flow. ...
- Oats. Oats are a grain that are rich in beta-glucans, a soluble fiber with probiotic functions. ...
- Greek yogurt. ...
- Plums. ...
- Orange. ...
- Pumpkin. ...
- Seeds. ...
- Leafy greens.