Stomach Cramps? it Could Be the Juice Youre Drinking

When Juice Causes Stomach Pain

Everyone has gas in the digestive tract, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine, and it usually comes from swallowing air or the breakdown of certain foods by bacteria in the colon.

Not all sugars contribute to gas equally: While sucrose and glucose are easy to digest, fructose and sorbitol can present problems. Dr. Chey explains that when these unabsorbed sugars get into the colon, the bacteria there ferment the sugar. "That's what produces the gas and cramps," he says.

Apple, prune and pineapple juices are the main culprits for most people, Dr. Chey says. The concentration of sugar in fruit juice can also cause problems for some people who are OK eating whole fruits, he adds, because the amount of sugar in juice is much higher than in whole fruit.

A Low-Fructose Diet May Help

For some people, excess gas after drinking fruit juice might be caused by fructose malabsorption, an issue where the small intestine can't completely absorb the fructose. A doctor can diagnose this with a fructose hydrogen breath test, according to the University of Michigan Health System (UMHS). The treatment is straightforward: Stick to a low-fructose diet.

In addition to passing on fruit juices, that also means, per the UMHS, avoiding:

  • Certain whole fruits, including apples, pears, watermelon, figs, mango and cherries
  • Some vegetables, including artichokes, sugar snap peas and asparagus

While some fructose-containing sweeteners to avoid like honey, agave and high- fructose corn syrup will be easy to spot, fructose can be hiding in less obvious foods, too, like:

  • Salad dressing
  • Barbecue sauce
  • Ketchup

Always read labels carefully, and make sure the food doesn't contain fruit juice concentrate either.

A step beyond a low-fructose diet is avoiding FODMAP foods those that contain a group of carbohydrates including fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols, according to the UMHS. These foods might contribute to symptoms like bloating, gas, abdominal pain, constipation or diarrhea, especially for those who have irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease or celiac disease.

What About Diluted Juice?

Could fruit juice ever relieve stomach trouble? In one specific case, fruit juice though diluted was shown to actually be beneficial for stomach pain recovery. A May 2016 randomized trial with more than 600 children in JAMA showed that children visiting the emergency department due to gastroenteritis (which causes stomach cramps and other symptoms) and minimal dehydration who were given diluted apple juice instead of an electrolyte maintenance solution had fewer issues during recovery.

Read more on: livestrong