Does Cranberry Juice Make You Poop?

Seems, the tart, pink drink helps scale back dangerous micro organism in your urinary tract. However there are a selection of different health benefits of cranberries, too. Specifically: They’ve phytochemicals, that are antioxidants (particularly, anthocyanins and pelargonidin) proven to have an anti-cancer impact, they usually might also scale back your danger of issues like coronary heart illness, per a November 2020 evaluate within the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture.

However does cranberry juice have a constructive impact in your intestine? Extra particularly, can cranberry juice show you how to poop?

We spoke with two registered dietitians and a gastroenterologist about cranberry juice’s impact on digestion, and received to the underside of whether or not the tiny, tart fruit can act as a pure laxative.

Does cranberry juice make you poop?

In brief—sure, it might probably. Whereas cranberry juice is not the best pure laxative, there are a number of causes it might assist transfer issues alongside. The primary being hydration.

For those who’re not a fan of plain water, cranberry juice might help you attain your hydration targets for the day. As a result of satisfactory hydration is essential to having wholesome and common bowel actions, consuming cranberry juice to extend your fluid consumption might show you how to poop, says Amanda Sauceda, RD, a intestine health-focused dietitian.

“Cranberry juice can also be a supply of a pure sugar referred to as fructose, which might have a gentle laxative impact,” says Sarah Robbins, MD, gastroenterologist and founding father of Well Sunday Health Corporation. A typical serving (8 ounces) will gently assist your stool transfer by way of your GI tract.

However take into accout, in case you are notably delicate to fructose (like many individuals with IBS) or drink it in giant portions, it might have the alternative impact, inflicting diarrhea. Backside line? Serving measurement is essential.

Moreover, cranberry juice has a compound referred to as salicylate, says Katie Breazeale, RD, a dietitian specializing in intestine well being on the Princeton Longevity Center. “Salicylate is understood for rising the wholesome micro organism within the bowel, thus bettering digestion,” she explains.

Past these wholesome properties, merely drinking enough fluids—which might embrace 8 ounces of cranberry juice with water, natural tea, and different hydrating drinks—and getting sufficient energy every day might help your giant gut contract, transferring poop out of your system, Breazeale provides.

A tip: Whereas cranberry juice has constipation-busting properties, it really has considerably much less fiber than entire cranberries, says Dr. Robbins. This implies, consuming cranberry juice will not be as efficient at treating constipation as consuming entire cranberries and/or different high-fiber foods.

“Cranberry juice is a supply of pure sugar referred to as fructose, which might have a gentle laxative impact.”—Sarah Robbins, MD, gastroenterologist

Can cranberry juice flip your poop pink or black?

Technically, cranberry juice could cause your poop to look dark-reddish from its deep pink pigment, says Dr. Robbins. However she mentions this is not frequent, and certain would not occur until you’ve got had tons of cranberry juice.

That mentioned, in case your poop color changes after consuming cranberry juice, it ought to return to regular inside 24 to 48 hours of consuming it, she provides.

In case your stool seems black, nonetheless, this isn’t from cranberry juice. “Black stools can point out bleeding within the higher gastrointestinal tract, comparable to from the abdomen or higher small gut,” says Dr. Robbins.

This situation—generally known as melena—will not be sometimes from cranberry or different fruit juices, per the Cleveland Clinic. It could be brought on by sure dietary supplements, comparable to iron dietary supplements or medicines with bismuth like Pepto-Bismol, she provides. When you have black stool (that may be defined by treatment or not), it is best to see your physician to analyze the trigger.

How a lot cranberry juice are you able to drink per day?

The beneficial day by day serving of cranberry juice is 8 ounces, says Breazeale. She suggests sticking near this suggestion, as consuming an excessive amount of might result in issues like diarrhea, blood sugar spikes, and abdomen cramps.

When selecting cranberry juice, Dr. Robbins recommends selecting pure, unsweetened cranberry juice reasonably than cranberry juice cocktails or different drinks with added sugars.

There are additionally potential downsides to consuming an excessive amount of cranberry juice, says Dr. Robbins, together with the next:

• Even the pure sugars in 100% cranberry juice can add up and contribute to kind 2 diabetes dangers/problems and dental points.
• Cranberry juice has oxalates, which might contribute to the formation of kidney stones in individuals inclined to them, per the Medical College of Wisconsin.

Cranberry juice may work together with sure medicines, together with blood thinners like warfarin. This is the reason it is essential to speak to your physician earlier than making an attempt cranberry juice to alleviate constipation, or consuming it frequently, says Dr. Robbins.

Different methods to deal with constipation

Whereas cranberry juice might assist transfer your bowels alongside, there are different natural remedies for constipation which will work even higher, say Sauceda and Dr. Robbins. A few of these embrace:

Enhance your fiber consumption

“Fiber is your greatest guess for bettering constipation as a result of it helps bulk up and soften your poop, making it simpler to move,” says Sauceda. She recommends including fiber to your eating regimen slowly and step by step to permit your intestine to get used to it and scale back the danger of unintended effects like gasoline and bloating.

Dr. Robbins additionally recommends incorporating each soluble and insoluble fiber into your eating regimen, as foods with either can help you poop. Some meals excessive in soluble fiber embrace the next, per Mount Sinai:

• Oats
• Apples
• Flaxseeds
• Barley
• Lentils
• Beans
• Peas

Meals excessive in insoluble fiber embrace the next, per Mount Sinai:

• Wheat bran
• Greens like peppers, carrots, and leafy greens
• Entire grains like wheat bread, cereals, and so on.

For those who’re having a tough time getting sufficient fiber by way of your eating regimen alone, Dr. Robbins suggests fiber supplements like psyllium husk, methylcellulose, or wheat dextrin. At all times ask your physician earlier than making an attempt them although, to see in the event that they’re best for you.

Keep hydrated

Drinking enough water helps hold issues transferring by way of your intestine, which might relieve constipation, says Sauceda. Purpose to get wherever from 11.5 to fifteen.5 cups of water per day, by way of consuming and consuming hydrating meals, per the Mayo Clinic.

Getting sufficient fluid is particularly essential as you are rising your fiber consumption, to assist hold issues transferring, per Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Strive an belly therapeutic massage

Abdominal massage might help stimulate your colon and get stool transferring, per Sauceda. She recommends beginning by making use of mild strain to the decrease left aspect of your stomach together with your fingers, and transferring your hand throughout to the suitable aspect.

One other technique you may strive consists of the next steps, per Michigan Medicine:

• Lie down in your again together with your knees bent.
• Frivolously press down on the decrease proper aspect of your stomach close to your pelvic bone.
• Rub upward in a round movement till you attain your ribs.
• Transfer throughout to the left aspect of your stomach.
• Therapeutic massage your method down towards the decrease left stomach.
• Repeat this clockwise round therapeutic massage for about 10 minutes.

Tweak the way in which you sit on the bathroom

Seems, your pooping place could make an enormous distinction in serving to you could have a bowel motion. Strive elevating your knees above your hips, which might enable your physique to chill out whereas sitting on the toilet, says Sauceda. This place will be achieved by putting a small stool beneath your ft, to alleviate any straining that comes with constipation, she provides.

You can too strive rocking back and forth while you poop to assist stimulate a bowel motion, per Yale Medicine.

Get some train

Getting day by day motion might help transfer your bowels alongside. Attempt to intention for at the least half-hour of reasonable train most days of the week, per Dr. Robbins. This may embrace walking around your neighborhood, Pilates, yoga or stretching, or every other exercise you take pleasure in.

Whereas extra research are wanted on why precisely train helps, present analysis helps train as a very good pure remedy possibility for constipation, per a February 2019 meta-analysis within the Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology.

Set up a toilet routine

You might have a set bedtime routine or morning routine, however having a toilet routine might help regulate your GI system, too.

“Attempt to go to the toilet on the identical time every day, ideally after meals, to reap the benefits of the physique’s pure rhythms,” says Dr. Robbins. She says it’s essential to not ignore the urge to “go,” as delaying bowel actions can result in tougher stools and worsen constipation.

Take a better have a look at your meds

Sure medicines could cause or worsen constipation, says Dr. Robbins. “For those who suspect a medicine is contributing to your constipation, discuss to your physician,” she recommends. If wanted, they can regulate your dosage or counsel another treatment.

Think about over-the-counter (OTC) laxatives

If any of the above life-style adjustments don’t assist, Dr. Robbins recommends making an attempt OTC laxatives. This might embrace a complement like Metamucil or Benefiber, or a stimulant laxative like Miralax. In fact, test together with your physician earlier than taking laxatives, to see if it is best for you.

When to see a physician about constipation or intestine points

Whereas occasional constipation is frequent and normally manageable with eating regimen and life-style changes, sure conditions warrant medical consideration, says Dr. Robbins. Some indicators you must go to the physician about constipation embrace the next:

• If constipation lasts three weeks or extra or is extreme and never relieved by over-the-counter therapies and life-style adjustments
• For those who discover brilliant pink blood in your poop or on the bathroom paper after a bowel motion. This may point out hemorrhoids or extra severe situations like inflammatory bowel illness (IBD) or intestinal bleeding
• For those who’ve misplaced weight with out making an attempt
• When you have important belly ache or discomfort
• When you have sudden adjustments in bowel habits
• When you have a household historical past of intestine illnesses, like colorectal most cancers or IBD
• When you have anemia or different dietary deficiencies
• When you have signs of bowel obstruction, like vomiting, extreme belly ache, and lack of ability to move gasoline or stools—that is thought of a medical emergency and may immediate a go to to the ER

When you have any of the above signs, it is essential to succeed in out to your physician to rule out severe causes.

The underside line

Cranberry juice is commonly used as a UTI prevention technique or at-home UTI remedy. It additionally has a number of different well being advantages on account of its antioxidant content material. Cranberry juice could also have a delicate laxative impact from its pure sugars and contribution to your total fluid consumption.

That mentioned, there are different fruits which might be higher pure laxatives, like prunes or prune juice, for instance. So if you happen to’re coping with constipation discomfort and wish fast aid, possibly skip the cranberries and check out different strategies like strolling, belly therapeutic massage, and water.

FAQ

Does cranberry juice make you could have diarrhea?

For some individuals, cranberry juice could cause diarrhea. This may be from sugar alcohol in some kinds of juice, which might result in an upset abdomen and free stool. Even pure sugar like fructose can set off diarrhea in some individuals, together with these with IBS.

To forestall this, it is best to stay with a serving measurement of cranberry juice—8 ounces—and discuss to your physician in case your diarrhea continues or comes with different regarding signs like vomiting or fainting.

When must you not drink cranberry juice?

Individuals inclined to kidney stones ought to restrict or keep away from cranberry juice as a result of it has oxalates—an ingredient naturally present in sure meals that bind to calcium in your kidneys, resulting in the formation of kidney stones. Different meals excessive in oxalates embrace leafy greens, potatoes, soy, and almonds, per Colorado State University.

And if you happen to take sure medicines, like anti-coagulants (blood thinners), you shouldn’t drink cranberry juice until given the “okay” out of your physician.