Does Cranberry Juice Change your Pee Color (Red or Orange Urine)?

Our content is not intended nor recommended as a substitute for medical advice by your doctor. Use for informational purposes only.

The Short answer:

No, cranberry juice and supplements don’t change urine color into red, pink, or orange. The urine color doesn’t change after drinking cranberry juice, even if you drink large amounts daily.

[1] Does cranberry juice cause pink or red urine?

Cranberries and cranberry juices are reddish. However, they are not known to change your pee color to pink or red.

You probably drink cranberry juice or take cranberry supplements to help prevent recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs), especially if you are a female.

Even with daily consumption of cranberry juice, it is not supposed to cause pink or red urine. However, tYour doctor should investigate the red or pink urine color changes if they are:

Persistent for several days.
Associated with other symptoms such as kidney or bladder pain, difficulty urinating, or burning micturition.

Cranberries may be taken with other medications or for diseases that may cause red or pink urine (such as UTI with hematuria).

For example, Pyridium (phenazopyridine), a drug that women use for bladder pain, may cause red urine. Also, other medications and foods may cause red urine.

Common causes of pink or red urine are:

Current UTI with hematuria.

Medications include Pyridium (phenazopyridine) or foods that may cause red urine.
Blood in the urine (hematuria) for any other cause may cause pink (if mild) or red urine (if moderate or severe bleeding).
Strenuous workouts or sports (exercise-induced hematuria).

Menses or vaginal bleeds may cause reddish or pink staining of your pee or the toilet water.
Other medications, such as Rifampicin, Phenytoin, and Nitrofurantoin antibiotics).
Eating Beet (beeturia).

A stone in the urinary tract may cause bleeding with pink or reddish pee.
Cancer (bladder, kidney, or prostate).
Inflammation of the kidney glomeruli (functional units) is a condition called glomerulonephritis.

Endometriosis of the urinary bladder.
Trauma to the kidney or the urinary bladder.

[2] Does cranberry juice cause orange urine?

Cranberries and cranberry juices doesn’t cause orange or deep yellow urine. Moreover, drinking cranberry juice or juice mixes may make your urine lighter yellow as it contributes to proper hydration.

The most common cause of deep yellow or orange urine is dehydration due to either:

Failure to obtain a sufficient amount of water or other fluids.
Excess water loss as with prolonged workouts, diarrhea, hot climates, etc.

So, a deep yellow or orange urine is typically a sign of dehydration, not a side effect of cranberry juice.

Common causes of orange urine include:

Dehydration (the most common cause).

Medications, such as rifampicin, phenytoin, and nitrofurantoin antibiotics.
Ingestion of large amounts of carrots, fava beans, or aloe.
Bile pigment in your urine (biliary obstruction or liver diseases).

Rare genetic diseases such as Gilbert’s syndrome, Ehrlichiosis, and Porphyria.
Certain foods and supplements, such as excess Vitamin B2 intake or laxatives.

[3] Red urine: clues to the common causes.

The table below illustrates the common causes of red-colored urine and clinical clues that will help you to detect the cause of red or pink urine while using cranberries or cranberry juice.

CAUSE	CLINICAL CLUES
Urinary Tract Infection	Dysuria (burning urination), frequent urge to pee, present or pink, red, or reddish clots in the urine.
Medications that cause red urine.	Current intake of Pyridium (phenazopyridine) or Nitrofurantoin for UTI.
Exercise-induced hematuria	Experiencing red or pinkish urine after strenuous workouts or vigorous sports for a day or two (self-limiting).
Menses or vaginal bleeding	Red or pink urine during menses, blood when you wipe.
Bladder endometriosis	Hematuria (red urine) during menses, absent in between periods.
Stones	Recurrent, severe attacks of pain in the flanks or the lower abdomen. Some people may pass stones with urine.
Foods	Recent intake of beets or beetroots.
Bladder or kidney cancer	Older age, painless red or pink urine, weight loss, and occasional blood clots in urine.

Learn more about the causes of red or pink urine here.

[4] Orange urine: clues to the common causes.

The table below illustrates the common causes of deep yellow or orange urine and clues to help you figure out the causes of orange urine while taking cranberry juice.

CAUSE	CLUES
Dehydration	Not drinking water for long periods. Losing water from sweating (hot climate or workouts), diarrhea, vomiting, etc.
Medications	Taking medications such as rifampicin, phenytoin, and nitrofurantoin antibiotics.
Gilbert’s syndrome.	Mild jaundice (yellowish skin and eye whites), no pain, urine may turn orange with stress such as infection, illnesses, and after taking some medications such as paracetamol.
Liver diseases	acute or chronic mild liver pain, swollen abdomen, legs, yellowish skin and eye whites.
Gallbaldder conditions	Sudden severe attacks of upper right abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, pale stools. Yellowish skin and eye whites.
Foods.	Ingestion of large amounts of fava beans, aloe, or carrots.