Urinary Tract Infections: What Foods to Avoid
Certain foods can contribute to urinary frequency, urgency and discomfort.
Certain foods can contribute to urinary frequency, urgency and discomfort. If bladder symptoms are related to dietary factors strict adherence to a diet that eliminates the food should bring marked relief in 10 days.
Once you are feeling better, you can begin to add foods back into your diet, one at a time. If symptoms return, you will be able to identify the irritant. As you add foods back to your diet it is very important that you drink significant amounts of water.
These foods below are acidic and considered irritants to the bladder. They should be avoided.
Bladder Irritants
- Alcoholic beverages
- Apples and apple juice
- Cantaloupe
- Carbonated beverages
- Chili and spicy foods
- Chocolate
- Citrus fruit
- Coffee (including decaffeinated)
- Cranberries and cranberry juice
- Grapes
- Guava
- Peaches
- Pineapple
- Plums
- Strawberries
- Sugar*
- Tea
- Tomatoes
- Vitamin B complex
- Vinegar
*Some women report that sugar flares their symptoms.
Low-Acid Fruit Substations
Low-acid fruit substations include:
- Apricots
- Papaya
- Pears
- Watermelon
Coffee drinkers can drink Kava or other low-acid instance drinks. Tea drinkers can substitute non-citrus herbal and sun brewed teas. Calcium carbonate co-buffered with calcium ascorbate can be substituted for Vitamin C.