Cranberry juice is a very popular juice and is popularly used to treat urinal tract infections. On the other hand, people often assume that cranberry juice and constipation are interlinked. Now the question arises whether cranberry juice helps with constipation or does cranberry juice cause constipation.
The answer is cranberry juice is good for constipation because it contains a moderate amount of dietary fiber and very little saturated fat. Moreover, the high liquid percentage of cranberry juice plays an important role in constipation prevention and make you poop more.
However, not all types of cranberry juice are a great source of fiber and they may not be helpful.
In this article, we will check when is cranberry juice good for constipation and how cranberry juice can constipate you.
Is Cranberry Juice Good For Constipation?
Cranberries are a moderate-high source of dietary fiber. One cup of whole cranberry serving(100 grams) contains 3.6 grams of dietary fiber (1). The same serving size also provides near about 0 grams aka 0.008 grams of saturated fat.
Fiber is an essential nutrient to fight constipation. Studies have shown that consumption of fiber is able to increase stool frequency, and soften it (2). Also, another study has shown that dietary fiber intake can increase stool frequency in patients with constipation (3).
On the other hand, saturated fat is a constipating factor. According to studies, daily consumption of more than 30 grams of saturated fat can trigger constipation in healthy adults (4).
As cranberry fulfills the criteria of high fiber and low saturated fat, juice which contains cranberry pulps can prevent constipation. However, during the normal juicing process, the pulps are removed which can reduce more than 90 percent of fiber.
To get the best benefits from cranberry juice it is a wise idea to keep the pulps with the juice. That’s why cranberry juice is good for constipation if the pulps are not removed from the liquid.
Does Cranberry Juice Make You Constipated?
Cranberry juice without fiber or pulps can make you constipated due to lack of fiber. As fiber is an essential nutrient for smooth bowel movement, any food without fiber may cause trouble during stool passing.
That’s why it is mandatory to maintain the fiber volume with cranberry juice to prevent constipation. However, in some cases, fiber-dense cranberry juice can make you constipated.
The most common case is fiber overload from too much consumption of this smoothie. But why fiber overload makes you constipated? It’s because high fiber consumption can cause phytobezoar formation in the gastrointestinal tract.
According to studies, phytobezoar formation can cause small bowel obstruction (5). This small bowel obstruction may lead to bowel passing problems like constipation.
Moreover, high fiber cranberry juice may cause trouble for both idiopathic constipation & chronic constipation patients. Studies have shown that fiber consumption can worsen the constipation problems of both idiopathic constipation & chronic constipation patients (6, 7).
Cranberry Juice Benefits For Constipation
A properly prepared cranberry juice contains a lot of fiber which helps to prevent constipation. Moreover, cranberry juice has very little presence of saturated fat. As saturated fat is a well-known constipation factor, cranberry juice with almost zero grams of saturated fat is great for reducing the risk of constipation.
On the other hand, cranberry juice is full of water. As dehydration is one of the common causes of constipation, cranberry juice may help to reverse this situation by maintaining fluid density.
Furthermore, salicylate is also found in cranberry juice. Salicylate is a gut-friendly component and it has a beneficial effect on gut bacteria and maintaining digestive health.
Is Cranberry Juice A Good Laxative?
With moderately high dietary fiber and almost zero saturated fat, cranberry juice is considered a good natural laxative. In fact, cranberry juice with pulps is a great option to reduce constipation problems.
However, to maintain the laxative benefits of cranberry juice the fiber component in pulps should not be removed during filtration. On the other hand, the majority of market available cranberry juices are filtered, they may not act as a laxative because of little fiber presence.
Does Cranberry Juice Give You Poops?
Dietary fiber is an essential nutrient that promotes smooth bowel movement. It is very effective in adding bulk and water to stools and makes them easier to pass without any obstruction.
Moreover, increased fiber and fluid intake is considered one of the most common initial management of chronic constipation. As cranberry juice is a great mixture of both fiber and fluid, it gives you more poops.
Furthermore, studies have shown that whole cranberry powder and phenolic-deficient and phenolic-enriched cranberry extracts altered a human gut microbiota community in a gut simulator (8).
The same study also showed that salicylate present in cranberry juice may prophylactically lead to a reduction in E. coli. As E.coli is a major contributor to gut infection, cranberry juice can make you poop by preventing gut infections.
Does Cranberry Juice Make You Poop Black or Red?
No, a controlled intake of homemade cranberry juices does not make your poop black or red. However, excess consumption of cranberry juice can make your poop red because of its red color coating.
Is Cranberry Juice Good For Constipation During Pregnancy?
Yes, cranberry juice with pulps is good for constipation during pregnancy. On the other hand, the majority of processed juices do not contain fiber which may create trouble for pregnant women.
That’s why it is essential to maintain the fiber-dense cranberry pulp content in the juice. However, if the pregnant woman is suffering from chronic constipation or idiopathic constipation problems, then cranberry juice should be avoided.
It’s because the fiber content of cranberry juice may worsen their bowel problems. However, they can be served with pulp-free cranberry juice which contains almost zero grams of dietary fiber.
Is Cranberry Juice Good For Baby Constipation?
Yes, cranberry juice with pulp is good for baby constipation. The fiber component of cranberry juice can prevent constipation problems for babies. Moreover, the very little density of saturated fat is another added benefit to getting rid of constipation.
Moreover, cranberry juice is full of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. These micronutrients help to prevent any side effects after consumption of this delicious juice.
Does Cranberry Juice Make You Gassy?
Cranberry juice can make you gassy because it is a rich source of dietary fiber. Studies have shown that a high-fiber diet promotes more gas production (8). However, cranberry juice without pulp can reduce the risk of gas production because of fiber filtration.
On the other hand, cranberry juice contains a low FODMAP value. According to studies, low FODMAP intake is associated with less gas production (9). Because of this, pulp-rich cranberry juice can not produce much more gas compared to other high FODMAP juices.
Why Does Cranberry Juice Give Me Diarrhea?
As diarrhea occurs due to infections and cranberry juice does not cause infection in the stomach, there is a very rare chance of cranberry juice diarrhea. Moreover, the salicylate compound of cranberry juice reduces the presence of E.coli.
As E.coli is the major contributor to diarrhea, cranberry juice can prevent diarrhea by killing E.coli bacteria infection.
