Many foods that are ordinarily fine for you to consume aren't safe to eat while you're expecting. There are also foods that are especially beneficial during pregnancy that you might want to seek out more than usual. Cranberry juice falls into the latter category; it can be quite healthy during pregnancy.
Cranberry Juice
There are several reasons to drink cranberry juice. Not only is it tasty and a good way to get some of your fruit each day, it's also full of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C and manganese. Most important, however, is that there's nothing about it that is unsafe during pregnancy, meaning that even though there are many foods you need to avoid while you're expecting, cranberries and cranberry juice aren't among them.
Benefits
One of the major benefits of cranberry juice is that it helps to prevent urinary tract infections, explain Drs. Taro Kontiokari and colleagues in a 2001 article published in the "British Medical Journal." During pregnancy, you're especially susceptible to these infections, because of pH changes in your body, explain Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel in their book, "What To Expect When You're Expecting." As such, you may wish to drink more cranberry juice than usual during pregnancy.
Sugar Concerns
One of the concerns you will want to bear in mind with regard to cranberry juice and pregnancy, however, is that many cranberry juices sold in stores are actually "cranberry juice cocktail," meaning they're either a mix of a small amount of cranberry juice and a large amount of some other juice, or contain a small amount of cranberry juice and a large amount of water and sweetener. It's not healthy to consume too much sugar during pregnancy; this can lead to excess weight gain. Look for lightly sweetened cranberry juices.
Artificial Sweeteners
Another concern is that "light" cranberry juices, while low in calories, are often sweetened with artificial or non-caloric sweeteners. These sweetening agents, which include sucralose and aspartame, aren't necessarily safe during pregnancy, note Murkoff and Mazel. No studies have proven artificial sweeteners don't affect a developing fetus. As such, it's best to avoid cranberry juices sweetened with artificial sweeteners, in favor of those lightly sweetened with real sugar.
References
- "British Medical Journal"; Randomised Trial of Cranberry-lingonberry Juice and Lactobacillus GG Drink for the Prevention of Urinary Tract Infections in Women; T Kontiokari et al; June 2001
- "What to Expect When You're Expecting"; Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel; 2008
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