Foods That Can Irritate Your Bladder

Your lunch might be feeding your bladder issues. There is a list of foods that could be the culprit. However, this blog post is about comfort, not strict rules. What food might help or hurt your bladder yare different for everyone.

How Foods Affect Your Bladder

Some foods, such as cranberries, are known to be helpful to bladder health. Some of the things in food can also hurt your urinary tract. The irritation can trigger the need to use the restroom. Not every food upsets every bladder in the same way, or at all.

Foods That Can Irritate Your Bladder

Here is a list of foods that might bother your bladder:

• Spicy food
• Coffee
• Tea
• Energy drinks
• Alcohol
• Carbonated drinks
• Citrus
• Tomatoes
• Artificial sweeteners
• Chocolate

Many people are surprised that chocolate makes this list. Chocolate can hurt your bladder because it has a small amount of caffeine in it. Another surprise might be cranberries. They can help prevent urinary tract infections. Yet, they are acidic and might not be ideal for someone with an overactive bladder.

Foods That Are Easier on Your Bladder

The foods that help or hurt your bladder might be different than what helps or hurts someone else. Talk to your Baptist Health urologist for specific advice.

You can still use the following list to test what works best for you:

• Apples
• Pears
• Blueberries
• Watermelon
• Green beans
• Lettuce
• Water

There are no foods that technically "cleanse the bladder." These foods can help you avoid pain or discomfort with your bladder. These foods are also less likely to make an overactive bladder worse. If you still want to drink coffee or tea, look for the caffeine-free or low-acid options.

How to Find Your Trigger Foods

The best way to find your trigger foods is to start by talking to your urologist. You can also keep a food diary. A food diary is a daily written summary of what you eat and drink. It's helpful to write down everything you consume at every meal. That rogue potato chip you snuck for a mid-afternoon snack might just be the culprit.

Also, describe how you feel after each meal. You might notice that you have bladder issues every time you eat pasta sauce or drink coffee.

If you find one food showing up a lot, remove that from your diet for a few days. It's a good idea to only remove one food item at a time. That way you can tell what is likely helping or hurting your bladder.

Learn More With Baptist Health

If you want more information about bladder irritation, reach out to your Baptist Health urologist. If you do not have a urologist, you can find one by visiting our provider directory.