Is it normal to have diarrhea after a juice cleanse?

Juice cleanses have become increasingly popular in recent years as a way to detox and reset your body. Often lasting 3-5 days, juice cleanses involve consuming nothing but fresh fruit and vegetable juices. While some people report feeling energized and refreshed after completing a juice cleanse, others experience some unpleasant side effects like diarrhea.

What is a juice cleanse?

A juice cleanse is a type of diet that involves drinking only freshly squeezed fruit and vegetable juices for a set period of time, usually around 3-5 days. The goal is to flood your body with nutrients while giving your digestive system a rest from solid foods. Juice cleanses are touted as a way to:

• Remove toxins from your body
• Reboot your metabolism
• Aid weight loss
• Improve skin health
• Increase energy

During a juice cleanse, you’ll typically consume around 6-8 glasses of cold-pressed juice per day made from vegetables like kale, cucumber, celery, spinach, carrots, beets, and fruits like apple, lemon, ginger, pineapple, etc. Some cleanse programs allow a small amount of solid food like raw vegetables, nuts or seeds.

Is diarrhea normal during and after a juice cleanse?

Diarrhea and loose stools are a common side effect reported by those who’ve completed a juice cleanse. There are a few reasons you may experience diarrhea or loose bowels during or after a juice detox:

• Fiber content – Juices lack the fiber content that comes from eating whole fruits and vegetables. Fiber gives stools their solid form, so a lack of fiber consumption can cause looser stools.
• Sugar alcohols – Some juices, especially green juices, contain natural sugar alcohols from certain vegetables that can have a laxative effect if consumed in large amounts.
• Rapid change in diet – Drastically changing your dietary intake can cause temporary digestive issues as your body adjusts.
• Toxins releasing – Some proponents claim diarrhea during a cleanse is due to built-up toxins releasing from your body.

So in most cases, experiencing loose stools or diarrhea on a juice cleanse is normal and not necessarily a cause for concern.

How long does juice cleanse diarrhea last?

For most people, diarrhea brought on by a juice cleanse starts 1-2 days into the cleanse and resolves within 24-48 hours after resuming normal eating habits. However, some people report loose stools or tummy troubles for 3-5 days after ending their juice detox.

Factors that influence how long juice cleanse diarrhea lasts include:

• How long you did the juice cleanse (longer cleanses disrupt digestion more)
• What you ate to break your cleanse (greasy foods may prolong diarrhea)
• If you have a sensitivity to any juice ingredients
• Your digestive health before the cleanse

Diarrhea lasting more than 3-5 days after ending a juice cleanse may indicate an underlying condition or reaction to a certain juice ingredient.

Tips to prevent or reduce juice cleanse diarrhea

Here are some tips that can help minimize the risk of diarrhea and other digestive issues during and after a juice cleanse:

• Ease in and out – Don’t go from eating normally to just juices overnight. Taper your calories over a few days.
• Avoid certain ingredients – If you know you have sensitivities, avoid ingredients like cabbage, kale, apples, carrots.
• Include probiotics – Drink juices with gut-healthy probiotics like kombucha or kefir.
• Include solid foods – Incorporate a small amount of solid produce like avocado or cooked oats.
• Stay hydrated – Drink plenty of water in addition to juices.
• Reduce portion sizes – Stick to around 16 oz of juice every 2 hours rather than large 32oz portions.
• Avoid heavy post-cleanse meals – Break your fast gradually with simple foods like broth, rice, banana.

When to see a doctor

In most cases, diarrhea during or after ending a juice cleanse subsides in a few days. But if you experience any of the following, it’s a good idea to get checked out by a doctor:

• Diarrhea lasts more than 3-5 days after stopping the juice cleanse
• Bloody stool
• Intense abdominal cramping or pain
• Dehydration symptoms like excessive thirst, dizziness or dark urine
• Fever over 101 F (38.3 C)

Signs of dehydration, abdominal pain, bloody stool or high fever could indicate a more serious health issue, so it’s better to be safe and get evaluated. Prolonged diarrhea after finishing a juice cleanse may mean you have a sensitivity or intolerance to a certain ingredient as well.

The risks of juice cleanses

While juicing is trendy, it comes with potential downsides. Apart from diarrhea, other side effects or risks include:

• Nutrient deficiencies – Juices lack protein, fat, and nutrients only found in plant fibers.
• Blood sugar spikes – The high sugar content of fruit juices can spike blood glucose.
• Metabolism slowdown – Severely restricting calories can cause your metabolism to slow.
• Weight regain – Rapid weight loss from juice diets is often quickly regained when you resume normal eating.
• Tooth decay – Constant exposure to fruit acids can erode tooth enamel.

The key takeaway is juice cleanses should only be done occasionally or for short periods under medical supervision. They are not a sustainable approach for nutrition or weight loss.

The bottom line

Mild diarrhea and digestive discomfort is common when doing a juice cleanse due to the lack of fiber, rapid dietary changes, ingredients high in sugar alcohols, release of stored toxins, and other factors. For most people, symptoms last 1-2 days and resolve within 3-5 days of ending the cleanse.

More severe or persistent diarrhea after juicing could indicate an intolerance, sensitivity or underlying health condition requiring medical attention. When done for short periods, juice cleanses are relatively safe for most healthy individuals. But they come with potential downsides and should not replace a balanced whole food diet.

Juice Cleanse Duration	Average Days of Diarrhea
3 days	1-2 days
5 days	2-3 days
7 days	3-4 days
10 days	4-5 days

As shown in the table above, longer juice cleanse durations tend to result in more days of diarrhea on average. Most experts recommend limiting juice cleanses to 3-5 days maximum, as longer cleanses can cause greater disruptions in digestion and nutrition. Consulting a doctor is advised, especially for cleanses lasting 7 days or more.