Drinking Cranberry Juice Every Day Has An Unexpected Effect On Your Poop

When you think of cranberry juice, you probably picture it as a go-to remedy for preventing urinary tract infections (UTIs). Cranberry juice is also packed with vitamins C, E, and K. Cranberries are loaded with antioxidants that help fight oxidative stress, which is linked to conditions like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.

Beyond UTIs, cranberry juice might also do your gut some favors. Just like it helps prevent harmful bacteria from sticking around in the urinary tract, it may also keep unwanted bacteria from thriving in your digestive system. According to a 2024 article in Frontiers in Microbiology, constipation may be linked to the bacteria in your gut. Cranberry juice could help improve gut health and aid with constipation, according to Courtney Pelitera, a registered dietitian with Top Nutrition Coaching.

"Improving the gut microbiome means increasing the diversity of bacteria in the digestive organs," Pelitera, who specializes in sports nutrition and wellness nutrition, told Health Digest. "This is great news for those who love cranberry juice, as the results are promising. Cranberry juice also has the potential to reduce intestinal inflammation due to its high polyphenol content."

Pelitera pointed to a 2022 study in Current Developments in Nutrition, where overweight adults drank an 8-ounce glass of cranberry juice or a placebo twice a day for six weeks. Drinking cranberry juice lowered markers of inflammation in men and improved the immune response in women. They also said their constipation improved. Those who drank cranberry juice had increased beneficial bacteria in their gut.

E. coli bacteria naturally live in your gut, but after you go to the bathroom, they can sometimes make their way to your urinary tract and cause a UTI. A 2019 study in PLoS One took a closer look at how cranberries might help keep your gut bacteria in balance. Using a lab setup that mimicked the human gut, researchers found that cranberries helped reduce harmful bacteria, including E. coli, while boosting beneficial ones. It turns out cranberries contain a natural antimicrobial compound called salicylate, which may play a key role in lowering the bacteria that cause UTIs.

If you're dealing with constipation, cranberry juice can be part of a broader strategy to help get things moving, says Pelitera. Since dehydration is a common cause of constipation, drinking cranberry juice can help keep you hydrated. "I would also recommend increasing water intake and eating more fiber," Pelitera says. "High-fiber foods include fruits and vegetables, beans, whole grains, and legumes." To improve your gut health, you can include yogurt or kefir milk, both of which contain probiotics. Fermented foods such as sauerkraut also have beneficial bacteria that could help with constipation.

(Here are a few reasons that might explain why you are having constipation.)

While a daily glass of cranberry juice is generally safe, drinking too much — more than 16 ounces — can have the opposite effect and lead to diarrhea due to its high sugar content. Unsweetened cranberry juice can pack 61 grams of sugar in a 16-ounce glass. "Keep in mind this sugar content can also impact blood glucose levels and weight," Pelitera said.