Most of us are aware that drinking cranberry juice is good for your urinary tract. It’s commonly thought that drinking cranberry juice helps prevent and relieve UTIs, due to its high level of antioxidants called proanthocyanidins (PACs). But does the same apply to poop? When it comes to a natural remedy for UTIs, many people also recommend drinking lots of cranberry juice. But does it make you poop? And if so, does it help with preventing or relieving UTIs? There is plenty of conflicting information out there about the effects of cranberry juice on your digestion. Let’s take a look at what we know so far!
Does Cranberry Juice Make You Poop?
Truth is, no! There is no evidence that cranberry juice makes you poop. In fact, there are multiple benefits of drinking cranberry juice, including sweetening your breath, fighting infection, and improving liver function. Cranberry juice contains two compounds that help prevent the formation of urinary tract infections (UTIs): proanthocyanidins and flavonoids. It also contains a high concentration of Vitamin C, which supports the immune system and helps prevent UTIs from occurring.
What Is It About Cranberry Juice That Helps With UTIs?
1. The Antioxidants in Cranberry Juice Help Prevent UTIs
Cranberry juice has a high concentration of antioxidants called proanthocyanidins (PACs). One study found that these antioxidants can prevent UTIs in women by preventing bacterial growth. Another study showed that cranberry juice prevented bacteria from attaching to the bladder wall, which is important because it prevents infection. The researchers found cranberry juice also decreased the number of bacteria in the urine sample by 25 percent, and reduced the number of bacteria on the bladder wall by 40 percent. When it comes to preventing UTIs, cranberry juice seems to be pretty effective!
2. Cranberries Are High in Fiber
Fiber helps with digestion and can help you keep things moving through your digestive tract more smoothly. In addition, fiber can bind harmful substances in your digestive tract so they don’t get absorbed into your bloodstream too quickly. This is why many people recommend eating lots of fruits and vegetables as part of a healthy diet. Fiber can also help with constipation, which is something to keep in mind if you have a history of UTIs.
3. Some People Say It Causes Constipation
Some people say that cranberry juice causes constipation, but there’s not a lot of research to back it up. Some studies have found that cranberry juice increases the amount of water your body absorbs and can also increase your bowel movements. One study found that drinking cranberry juice increased the amount of water your body absorbed by about 5 percent and resulted in an increase in stool frequency by about 19 percent. However, many other studies have found no effects on bowel movements or constipation from drinking cranberry juice.
4. Cranberries Are High in Fructose (a Sugar)
In addition to being high in fiber, cranberries are high in fructose, a type of sugar that can be hard on your liver and kidneys. Although there is some research showing that fructose may increase the risk of chronic kidney disease and liver disease, the evidence doesn’t show that it’s harmful in moderate amounts. For most people, eating a small number of fruits and vegetables with fructose won’t cause harm! h supporting this. However, some people report that they experience constipation after drinking cranberry juice, so it’s something to consider if you have a history of UTIs.
5. Some People Say It Causes Diarrhea
Other people say that cranberry juice causes diarrhea, but there’s not a lot of research to support this either. One small study found that the use of cranberry supplements led to diarrhea in some people. However, the researchers didn’t find any evidence that the intestinal bacteria were changed by the supplements in this study, so it’s not clear whether the diarrhea was caused by an effect on your body or an effect on your intestines (and/or stomach).
Does Cranberry Juice Help You To Poop?
1. Cranberry Juice Can Cause Diarrhea
There has been a lot of research on the effects of cranberry juice on diarrhea, and most of it shows that it can cause diarrhea. However, one study showed that drinking cranberry juice didn’t affect the number of bowel movements or the amount of solid waste (such as stool) in people with IBS. The researchers concluded that people with IBS shouldn’t worry about drinking cranberry juice!
2. It’s Not Recommended for People Who Have IBS or Bowel Inflammation
In some cases, if you have IBS or another condition called bowel inflammation, you should not drink cranberry juice because it may worsen your symptoms. There is also some research showing that if you have a history of UTIs, then drinking too much cranberry juice h on this topic. One study found that eating cranberries didn’t cause constipation in healthy adults. However, there is a small amount of research that suggests that drinking cranberry juice can cause constipation in some people.
3. It’s Not Enough to Prevent UTIs Alone
A study published in the Journal of Urology found that taking cranberry juice supplements didn’t prevent UTIs in women at risk for developing them. This finding supports the idea that eating lots of fruits and vegetables and drinking lots of water are necessary to protect your urinary tract from infection. Cranberry juice doesn’t have enough PACs to help prevent UTIs on its own, so you still need to eat lots of fruits and vegetables and drink plenty of water!
4. It Doesn’t Prevent All Types of UTIs
There is no evidence that cranberries can prevent all types of UTIs, only certain types called cystitis (inflammation) or urethritis (infection h did on this. What we do know is that cranberry juice is a source of fiber, which can help with constipation and other digestive issues.
5. Cranberry Juice Can Cause Diarrhea
Cranberries contain a compound called proanthocyanidin (PAC). This compound can make your poop look like it’s more like a paste than a solid. It can also cause diarrhea in some people due to its healing properties. This is because the PAC in cranberries can draw out toxins from your body, so it’s best not to take any supplement containing this substance if you have a history of UTIs or are prone to them!
Why You Shouldn’t Rely On Cranberry Juice To Prevent Utis
1. Cranberry Juice Can Degrade the Enzyme That Helps with UTIs
One of the main chemicals that helps protect your urinary tract is called nitric oxide. This is an important molecule because it allows urine to be released from your bladder, and it also keeps bacteria from sticking to the urinary tract wall, which prevents infection. Unfortunately, some people believe that cranberry juice degrades nitric oxide, which may lead to worse UTIs. But this is not proven by research yet!
2. Cranberries Are High in Sugar and Calcium
Both sugar and calcium can help with UTIs because they can promote healthy bacterial growth in your digestive tract and bladder wall. However, there’s no evidence that h to back up this claim. Some articles have suggested that drinking cranberry juice can cause diarrhea, but although cranberry juice can cause diarrhea, it doesn’t usually cause constipation.
3. Most People Don’t Have a Problem with It
Most people don’t have any problems with drinking cranberry juice and having a healthy digestive tract. Some studies show that consuming lots of fruits and vegetables is better for preventing UTIs than drinking cranberry juice! So if you’re not sensitive to or allergic to cranberries, then there’s no need to avoid them altogether!
4. Drinking Cranberry Juice Won’t Stop You from Pooping
One study found that women who consumed large amounts of cranberry juice did not h that supports this idea. In fact, in a study published in the Journal of Urology, researchers found that there was no difference between people who drank cranberry juice and those who didn’t. This means that drinking cranberry juice did not cause constipation in their sample group.
5. Cranberry Juice is High in Phenols
Phenols are a type of antioxidant found in many fruits and vegetables, including cranberries. These antioxidants can help prevent UTIs by preventing bacteria from attaching to the bladder wall and preventing bacterial growth. Some people believe that phenols can also help with constipation, but there’s no scientific evidence to support this idea either.
Conclusion
Cranberry juice helps with UTIs in the same way that Vitamin C helps with UTIs. While it can help prevent UTIs from occurring, it’s not a magic cure-all. If you’re prone to UTIs, drinking cranberry juice regularly can help prevent them from occurring. For those who are prone to UTIs, drinking plenty of cranberry juice can help prevent future UTIs from occurring.
