Cranberry juice is often suggested as a natural way to "detox" your body. The benefits of cranberries is extolled almost ad lib, with promoters of detox diets making assertions that the juice flushes "toxins" from your body as part of a "full body cleanse." You're probably aware that cranberry juice is a great source of antioxidants and that it can be beneficial to urinary tract health. On the other hand, detox diets and detox in general are treated with extreme skepticism by the scientific community.
What is Detox?
Your body already has an efficient system of "detoxification," according to the United Kingdom's Sense About Science, an independent charitable trust that explains public claims about science, medicine and technology. Your gastrointestinal system prevents toxins from getting into your body, and what harmful substances do get in are flushed out by the liver and kidneys. According to Sense About Science, your body detoxifies on its own, with no help from you. "Detox" is a marketing claim used to promote a certain product or process, without an accurate explanation of how "detoxification" occurs. Cranberry juice won't "detox" your system any better than another type of juice--or water. But it does have specific nutritional benefits and may promote a healthier urinary tract.
The Benefits of Cranberry Juice
Cranberry juice is primarily used to prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs), according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. The cranberry has distinctive properties--active constituents that make it valuable to your health. Cranberries contain antioxidants derived from the fruit's proanthocyanidins, the substance that gives cranberry juice its dark red color. Cranberry juice is also a good source of vitamin C, another antioxidant. Laboratory studies indicate that cranberry juice curbs the growth of certain cancer cells, according to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. But there have been no studies conducted on people to see if it can prevent cancer.
About Antioxidants
Cranberry juice is touted as a natural antioxidant, but many people may not know what antioxidants do, says the American Dietetic Association. Antioxidants encompass nutrients such as vitamins C and E, beta carotene and selenium. Antioxidants may inhibit or prevent substances called free radicals from inflicting oxygen damage on your cells. Cranberry juice is only one dietary source that has antioxidant properties. If you eat an abundance of fruits and vegetables, as well as whole grains and nuts, you're getting all of the antioxidants you need, says the ADA.
Cranberry Juice & UTIs
Cranberry juice is more closely associated with a way to address UTIs than it is with detoxification. The UMMC states that researchers believe cranberry may prevent the bacteria that causes UTIs from adhering to the urinary tract, but cranberry is less effective once the bacteria has already made itself at home in the bladder and urethra. Cranberry juice may be a good way to prevent UTIs, but it's unlikely to reduce symptoms of existing infections.
Safety Concerns
Cranberry juice is safe and isn't associated with bad side effects--even pregnant women can drink it. The UMMC states that you can drink 10 oz. of cranberry juice cocktail or around 3 oz. of pure cranberry juice daily. If you have a history of kidney stones, you may want to drink cranberry juice in moderation; it contains chemicals that may cause stones to form. Make sure to look for sugar-free cranberry juice if you have diabetes--this bitter fruit almost always contains sweetener to make it pleasing to the palate. Cranberry juice should never be used in lieu of conventional treatment for your health concerns, says the UMMC.
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