Is Cranberry Juice Good for Pregnancy?

As an expectant mother, eating the right food is one of the best ways to achieve a healthy and safe delivery. A frequently asked question is that “Is cranberry juice good for pregnancy?”

The short answer is yes, but drinking cranberry juice during pregnancy also has its share of cons. 

Cranberries are a rich source of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. These are high in antioxidants, and they reduce the risk of many diseases. Cranberries also have a reputation as a superfood due to their high nutrient and antioxidant quantity.

But too many cranberries can land you in trouble! Let us start by looking at some health benefits of consuming cranberries during pregnancy. 

Benefits Of Cranberry Juice During pregnancy

When you are pregnant, you want to do everything right for yourself and your little baby. There must be a thousand food options that you may have in front of you but ask yourself this,

“Is it healthy for my baby and me?” If the answer is yes, go ahead with it! And when you see cranberries, your answer will definitely be yes!

Cranberry benefits include better immunity, better digestion, prevention from UTIs, and many more! Let’s have a look at the benefits in detail.

Helps prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs): 

Consuming cranberry extracts is a popular method to prevent and treat a urinary tract infection (UTI). A UTI is a common problem that most pregnant women face, and leaving it untreated may result in many health complications.

During pregnancy, the uterus grows in shape, and it may block the bladder restricting the drainage of urine. This is likely to cause an infection in the urinary tract. Cranberries have antioxidants that prevent the bacteria from sticking to the urinary tract walls, reducing the chance of any infection. 

Consuming cranberries also protect our kidneys. Consuming dried cranberry in pregnancy can prevent the bacteria from attaching to the kidneys and thus keeping any infections at bay.

Boosts Immunity: 

Immunity levels of women are often messed up while they are expecting a baby. Their body is adapting to several changes simultaneously, and they need to defend their bodies against any type of illness or infection.

In this case, drinking cranberry juice is a wise option because they are rich in proanthocyanidins, protecting the body from disease-causing bacterias and providing immunity. After all, a healthy and strong mother will make a healthy and strong kid.

Keeps constipation away: 

Cranberries are high in fiber, and juice hydrates the body. In itself, fresh cranberry is made up of 90% of water, and it gives the required hydration to a pregnant woman.

Because of its rich fiber content, cranberry helps in constipation and improves metabolism. Constipation and indigestion are common pregnancy problems, and there’s nothing to worry about them.

You just need to have a solution before the problem arises, and drinking cranberry juice is that solution!

Treats Inflammation: 

Inflammation in the body damages blood vessels over time, including the arteries. Cranberries contain the highest amount of antioxidants required by our body to fight inflammation.

They have anti-inflammatory properties and increase the amount of salicylic acid in the body. During pregnancy, inflammations can cause a lot of discomfort to you, and it may give you some sleepless nights as well!

So, stock up on your cranberry juices and stay hydrated so that you can prevent these unwanted conditions during your pregnancy.

Side-Effects Of Cranberry Juice During Pregnancy

While cranberry has many health benefits and cranberry juice is good for pregnancy, it also has some risks. Too much drinking juice can be a problem for a pregnant woman, and therefore you should always be mindful of how much cranberry you should consume. 

May cause diarrhea: 

Drinking too much cranberry juice can result in diarrhoea. Like it’s said that too much of anything is not suitable for health, right?

So, consuming too much cranberry can also give you a lot of inconveniences. Loose motion and diarrhea are anyway common during pregnancy, and you would not want to trigger that by drinking too much.

May elevate blood sugar levels: 

Drinking cranberry juice too often should be avoided by expecting women who have diabetes. Cranberries have high sugar content and have a rich sweet taste that can trigger and increase blood sugar levels.

Having cranberry juice should not be a problem once in a while but make sure to have it in moderation. 

Kidney stones:

Cranberries are rich in oxalates, which is one kind of salt. These salts make a favorable condition for kidney stones to grow. Cranberries are great for preventing UTIs and kidney-related diseases, but too much consumption can give you a more prominent problem than you ever had!

Being pregnant is a roller-coaster ride, and it takes a lot of patience and support to make it to the end of the ride without losing one’s mind!

We know that it is challenging, but it is one of the most beautiful experiences that you will have. Taking care of your body while you are pregnant is the most important thing you need to focus on. 

Eating right and healthy is the key here! Cranberries are an excellent source of everything right that your body needs, and drinking juice in moderation will help you fight extreme health conditions that may cause some harm to you.

Cranberries are typical food, and you can find them over the counter – fresh, frozen, or dried. Here’s to healthy living and healthy pregnancy!

Contribute by Wellcurve