Can Cranberry Juice Affect Your Menstrual Cycle

Cranberry juice can be a tasty way to boost your health, as cranberries are a nutritious supplement for treating women’s irregular menstrual cycles. Cranberry juice generally has a myriad of health benefits.

It is known to be good for the urinary tract, and also provides beneficial laxative, cardio-protective, antibacterial, and anti-cancer effects. Like many other fruit juices, cranberry juice contains health positive components that can cause healthier periods.

Plus, it may also help improve your cardiovascular health and decrease UTI frequency if you are prone to these infections.

What is most effective in the role of affecting the menstrual cycle of women, however, is the presence of vitamin K in cranberry fruit juice. Vitamin K is a nutrient that can affect and regulate periods.

Cranberries also contain vitamin C and potassium, both of which have various health benefits as well, and can be helpful in relieving menstrual symptoms.

Potassium is especially good at relieving muscle cramps and tension, which can help decrease menstrual cramps and pain.

Cranberry juice is considered an alternative medicine used to effectively prevent symptoms such as pain, burning urination, and bloating. In fact, cranberry is often sold as an herbal supplement as well.

Menstrual cycle effects can range from cramping to bloating, to moodiness and back pain. Cranberry juice hosts many nutrients and minerals potent in combating these unpleasant symptoms, as well as affecting some of the aspects of the menstrual cycle itself.

1. Premenstrual syndrome relief

Cranberry juice can help remedy the symptoms of PMS. The potassium present in cranberries can help prevent the body from retaining water, and minimize uncomfortable bloating during PMS.

It has natural diuretic properties, so drinking cranberry juice can help flush out the excess fluid in the body during your period.

It can also help in preventing muscle cramping, which can be a relief to women who suffer from cramps during this time as well.

Manganese, another nutrient found in cranberry juice, can also be effective in preventing PMS symptoms and can relieve some of the fatigue women feel during their period.

Quercetin is also found in cranberry juice. It is an anti-inflammatory compound that can reduce prostaglandin levels throughout your body.

During your period, prostaglandins contribute to cramping and pain. By drinking cranberry juice, you can reduce some of this pain naturally. Ibuprofen and NSAIDs also help reduce prostaglandins and can reduce pain.

2. UTI prevention

The nutrients found in cranberry juice work to prevent bacteria from attaching itself to bladder or artery walls, and can prevent infections in the urinary tract [1].

UTIs can cause a lot of problems for women, especially during their menstrual cycle.

It is thought that cranberry juice blocks E. coli, the bacteria responsible for sticking to bladder cells and causing urinary tract infections [2].

Drinking cranberry juice is good for women who may be more prone to these infections. Cranberry juice pills are also available to take if you do not want to increase your juice intake each day.

3. Stress relief

The vitamin C found in cranberry juice can also help minimize mood swings, depression, anxiety, and stress that may occur during a women’s menstrual cycle.

If you experience severe mood effects as a result of PMS and your period, drinking cranberry juice may decrease mood swings and relieve some of the stress that comes along with that time of the month [3].

Drinking just one glass per day can give you a boost of vitamin C.

4. Inducing Period

For some of you, you may be looking for natural methods to control when your period comes. Integrating high amounts of cranberry juice into your diet can actually work as a natural method to induce your period. Since cranberry juice is rich in vitamin C, it can be used to quicken the onset of the menstrual cycle.

This is a great property of cranberry juice that may help women with irregular cycles.

Even though cranberry juice has many nutritious properties beneficial to our health, its effects on the menstrual cycle can vary and are dependent on the individual cycles of each woman.

Some may experience a lot of effects on their menstrual cycle as a result, while others may find that cranberry juice does not have an effect.

Each woman has a different make up of hormones that are at different levels. For some, cranberry juice may affect their hormones enough to help their periods and for others, cranberry juice may not do anything.

Some women who do not like the taste of cranberry juice may also just eat fresh cranberries or take concentrated cranberry tablets in order to get its nutrients. These options are all available at grocery stores and can be tried under the watchful eye of your OB/GYN.

References

1. Jepson RG, Craig JC (2008). “Cranberries for preventing urinary tract infections”. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (Systematic review) (1): CD001321. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD001321.pub4. PMID 18253990.
2. Blueberry and Cranberry – Charles F. Forney and Wilhelmina Kalt, in Health-promoting properties of fruits and vegetables edited by Leon A. Terry. ISBN 978-1-84593-528-3
3. https://www.sharecare.com/health/vitamin-c/vitamin-c-help-reduce-stress

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