Potential Benefits of Cranberry Juice in Alleviating Alcohol Withdrawal Effects
As your first step toward achieving sobriety, you have made the wise decision to stop drinking and go through the detoxification process. If you are attempting to go it alone, you may be interested in trying home remedies to make detox more manageable. Before considering the options, you need to know what to expect from withdrawal.
What Symptoms Can You Expect During Alcohol Withdrawal?
You can experience alcohol withdrawal symptoms if you discontinue alcohol use or reduce your intake significantly. Symptoms can begin developing within a few hours of your last drink. The entire process can take four days or longer, depending on how much alcohol you have been drinking. You may experience these symptoms:
- Tremors and shakiness
- Headache
- Anxiety
- Insomnia
- Nausea and vomiting
- Heart palpitations
- Hallucinations
- Agitation
- Seizures
Alcohol withdrawal is challenging, especially if you have alcohol use disorder (AUD). Once you become dependent, the body wants alcohol and will exhibit a range of symptoms. The withdrawal symptoms often prevent people from avoiding alcohol because they cannot stand the symptoms associated with cessation.
Many people wonder if cranberry juice can help them safely withdraw from alcohol. There are many myths about ways to go through alcohol withdrawal, but there are also proven methods that can help. We will explore the promise of cranberry juice to help with alcohol detox.
Cranberry Juice Is Packed with Health Benefits
Cranberry juice is known for its healing and preventive properties, especially as it relates to the urinary tract. Cranberry is a potent antioxidant that offers antibacterial properties. It is important to explore why this tart berry is so powerful and how it can help as you detox from alcohol.
Antioxidants
Free radicals build up in the body as it ages and can accumulate in the tissues, leading to oxidative damage. Studies have shown a link between free radicals and diabetes, cancer, digestive health issues, and heart disease.
The chemicals found in cranberry juice help promote antioxidant production and activity. Antioxidants fight free radicals, so they cannot cause cellular oxidative damage.
Consuming antioxidants helps combat oxidative stress caused by chronic ethanol metabolism. The antioxidants found in cranberry juice, including vitamins C, E, and quercetin, can be used to prevent and treat alcohol-related complications arising after chronic consumption. Drinking cranberry juice can help heal oxidative stress and prevent further damage from occurring.
Polyphenols
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, there is a clear connection between excessive alcohol consumption and high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. Thankfully, the polyphenols in cranberry juice can help protect the heart and improve its function.
Medical scientists have discovered polyphenols relax the arteries, preventing stiffness and reducing the mean carotid-femoral artery pulse velocity. In simpler terms, this is the method doctors use to measure the stiffness of the arteries in the body. Drinking cranberry juice can help protect your heart throughout your recovery and beyond.
Antibacterials
People who drink alcohol heavily are more likely to suffer infections, especially pneumonia. This fact was reported by William Osler in 1905.
Those who suffer from alcohol use disorder are also more likely to develop urinary tract infections. Alcohol causes the urine to become more acidic than usual. While increased acidity does not cause UTIs, it can worsen the symptoms when infections are present. Those with alcohol use disorder are more likely to suffer serious complications from urinary tract infections, so it is important to work to prevent them while you withdraw from alcohol.
Cranberry juice contains antibacterial agents that are especially beneficial in targeting the colonization of E. coli, the bacteria most commonly responsible for urinary tract infections. Further research is necessary, but people have used cranberry juice for many years as a UTI-preventive and complementary treatment.
Phytochemicals
Cranberry juice is also packed with phytochemicals. These play an integral role in digestive health. Alcohol-induced digestive conditions often occur because of damage done to the mucosal lining of the stomach. People who drink heavily often complain of stomach pain, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, and excess gas.
One of the common complications resulting from alcohol withdrawal is gastritis, inflammation of the stomach that is frequently accompanied by bleeding.
The phytochemicals in cranberry juice can help inhibit the growth of H. pylori, one of the leading causes of gastric ulcers. Drinking cranberry juice during alcohol detox can help keep the harmful bacteria from overpopulating your stomach and causing gastric distress.
Will Cranberry Juice Offer a Natural Alcohol Detox?
There are many old wives’ tales regarding remedies to aid in alcohol detox. Many people speak of natural options that are supposed to help you get rid of alcohol faster. Unfortunately, not all of these natural remedies work; some can be dangerous.
Cranberry juice is packed with vitamins, antioxidants, polyphenols, and antibacterials, so it will only benefit your body. However, there is little research stating that cranberry juice is a natural alcohol detox remedy.
Cranberry juice will help support your body during the detox process. It will help protect your kidneys, liver, and stomach. These three organs go through a lot of abuse with excessive alcohol consumption.
Although cranberry juice is not a magical cure, it is helpful to consume it regularly as you work to rid your body of the adverse effects of alcohol. You can enjoy a couple of glasses daily to help your body heal.
It is important to note that you should not consider cranberry juice a quick fix. It does contain vital nutrients that can offer protection, but cranberry juice is more effective for improved health when used over the long term.
Should You Drink Cranberry Juice After Consuming Too Much Alcohol?
People who have alcohol use disorder often drink more than they intend to because they have developed a higher tolerance to alcohol. Many people believe drinking cranberry juice after too much alcohol can help, and there is some degree of truth to this belief.
Cranberry juice acts as a diuretic, so it makes the kidneys work more effectively to flush the body of excess fluid. When you drink cranberry juice, you are more likely to urinate often, which can help flush alcohol from your body.
But the fact is that you could drink water and get the same results. If your liver is healthy, your body will metabolize alcohol at a steady rate and can handle about a drink per hour. If your liver is unhealthy or you drink too much, it could take 12 to 24 hours for your body to metabolize and excrete the alcohol.
When Is the Best Time to Drink Cranberry Juice?
Experts recommend drinking a glass of cold cranberry juice on an empty stomach first thing in the morning. Drinking the juice on an empty stomach helps to ensure the polyphenols and antibacterial agents coat your digestive and urinary tracts.
You can also enjoy a glass before bed, but there is no wrong time to sip cranberry juice. When you are not drinking cranberry juice, you should focus on water. These two beverages complement one another and can help you get rid of the buildup of toxins in your body as you detox from drinking alcohol.
What Kind of Cranberry Juice Is Best?
Although fresh pressed juice is always best, cranberries contain very little juice, so it would take a lot of berries to create a cup. When buying cranberry juice, do not buy cocktails or those containing sugar.
Cocktail juice often contains very little cranberry juice. These juice blends are often primarily apple juice. To get the full benefits of cranberry juice, choose one that is 100% pure cranberry juice with no added ingredients or sugar.
Cranberry juice is very tart, and not everyone can handle drinking it. You can dilute it with water if it is impossible to get down. If the taste is repulsive to you, try all-natural cranberry pill supplements as a close alternative to fresh juice.
Do You Need Professional Help with Alcohol Withdrawal?
Some people can go through alcohol withdrawal without too much stress, especially if they have not been drinking for a long time. For some people, the withdrawal symptoms become too difficult to handle alone.
There are some actionable strategies for dealing with alcohol withdrawal, including the following.
- Understand that cravings will come.
- Get help from loved ones and friends.
- Relax as much as possible.
- Rest
- Stay hydrated.
- Avoid stimulates like caffeine.
- Balance your blood sugar.
- Exercise.
- Seek medical attention if necessary.
Alcohol withdrawal can be life-threatening and produce symptoms that are more than uncomfortable. These symptoms can increase rapidly. Getting professional help can mean the difference between detoxing safely and suffering severe complications.
Some people mistakenly believe asking for help makes them seem weak. On the contrary, getting professional help means you are smart. No one can know what they will experience from alcohol withdrawal until they experience it. Some sail through the process, while others struggle.
There is no shame in admitting you cannot go through alcohol withdrawal alone. Home remedies like cranberry juice can help to a degree, but there is nothing like professional medical intervention to help manage the symptoms and protect your health.
If you want to stop drinking, it requires a concerted effort. You may fail before you are successful, but you can be one step closer to putting your addiction in remission.
Alcohol Awareness is committed to providing support throughout your journey to sobriety. Our 24/7 helpline is readily available to address any questions you may have concerning alcohol addiction. Additionally, if you’re in search of local Alcoholics Anonymous groups or healthcare professionals with expertise in alcoholism, addiction recovery, and mental health issues, we can assist you in finding the resources you need.