Drinking cranberry juice to help avoid bladder and urinary tract infections is a centuries-old folk remedy that actually has some basis in fact. Cranberry juice, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, helps prevent urinary tract infections by keeping the bacteria that causes them, E.coli, from sticking to and infecting your urinary tract. However, there is no evidence that cranberry juice is effective in cleansing the liver.
Liver Facts
Your liver is the largest gland in your body, and if it were to shut down, you would survive only two days without it, if you received no medical intervention. The liver fulfills a variety of necessary functions, including the task of cleaning drugs, toxins and waste from your blood. Your liver also removes bacteria from your bloodstream and helps fight infection, creates and cleans up cholesterol, supports the clotting of your blood when you get a cut or wound and secretes bile to help you digest your food. Cranberry juice can help support your overall health, which in turn supports these functions, but it can not cleanse your liver.
Cranberry Juice Facts
Cranberry juice is made from crushed cranberries, which are native to North America. Cranberries and their juice have been used as a natural bladder and kidney remedy for centuries. Early American settlers also used cranberry to treat ailments such as the vitamin C deficiency known as scurvy, loss of appetite, blood disorders and problems with digestion. Cranberry juice is high in vitamin C and other antioxidants.
Cleansing Facts
According to Harvard Family Health Publications, it is not possible to forcibly "cleanse" your liver or any other organ. Your liver detoxifies your body naturally, and it is not possible for you to make your body's natural detox processes work any faster than they already do. But, staying hydrated with water and drinking cranberry juice for its natural vitamins and antioxidants is a good way to support your liver while it does its job.
Warning
Fruit juices are high in sugar and in calories. If you have blood sugar issues, are at risk for diabetes or are counting your calories as part of a healthy weight-loss program, remember to factor in the sugar content and calories in cranberry juice.
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