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Though foods and beverages spend just a minute in your mouth, they can linger for hours in your urinary tract. That means there's plenty of time for irritating foods - spices, caffeine, and acidic foods, to name a few - to bother your bladder, sometimes causing incontinence. How do you know what bothers your bladder? Check this guide to some of the most common triggers; then learn how to keep a diary that can help identify any additional triggers you may have. |
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Decaffeinate your diet |
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Caffeine is a diuretic, which can increase urine production
and cause the bladder to contract, both of which can lead to bladder control problems. Limit your intake of caffeinated foods such as these: |
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- Caffeinated coffee
- Caffeinated sodas, even certain root beer and clear sodas
- Caffeinated tea (even some herbal blends)
- Certain medications, including some pain relievers, cough medicines, and dietary supplements
- Cocoa beans, chocolate, and foods containing chocolate
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Turn down the heat |
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Spicy foods can irritate the bladder and trigger incontinence.
Curb your intake of these foods:
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- Chili pepper and curry (found in some Indian, Thai, and Korean foods)
- Jalapenos and hot peppers (found in some Mexican and Italian dishes)
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Go easy on oxalates |
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Foods high in oxalates can irritate the bladder and aggravate inflammation in the urinary tract. High-oxalate foods include these:
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- Aged cheese
- Aged, cured, canned, processed, or smoked meat and fish
- Berries, including blackberries, cranberries, gooseberries, raspberries, and strawberries
- Fruits, including apples, cantaloupe, citrus fruits, Concord grapes, nectarines, peaches, pineapples, plums, and pomegranates
- Onions
- Peanuts and tofu
- Spinach, rhubarb, and dark leafy greens
- Sweet potatoes and beets
- Tea, instant coffee, and draft beer
- Tomatoes and tomato products
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Avoid the artificial |
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Preservatives, artificial colorings, artificial sweeteners, and carbonated drinks can irritate the bladder. Note: Sugar, honey, and corn syrup may also trigger bladder control problems, so you may want to limit all sweets. Cut down on these: |
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- Artificial colorings
- Aspartame (NutraSweet)
- Monosodium glutamate (MSG; found in some Asian foods)
- Saccharin (Sweet ’N Low)
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Watch what you drink |
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Drinking too little can worsen incontinence—so can drinking the wrong beverages. Drink plenty of water, and drink less of these common triggers:
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- Alcoholic beverages
- Caffeinated beverages
- Carbonated beverages
- Citrus and tomato-based juices
- Drinks made with other ingredients listed in this article (such as chocolate)
- Milk
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Track your own triggers |
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According to Mary Dierich, author of Overcoming Incontinence: A Straightforward Guide to Your Options, it’s useful to keep a “bladder diary.” By recording what you ate and drank, along with when you used the restroom or experienced leakage, you’ll likely begin to notice which foods and beverages lead to bladder control issues. Don’t forget to share your diary with your doctor, so she can be well informed of your condition.
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In your diary, keep a record of the following:
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Diet Entries
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- The date, time, and what you ate and drank. Do this throughout the day, so you can look back to see what you consumed prior to leakage.
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Voiding Entries
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- The date and time of day you used the bathroom or experienced leakage
- Whether you used the toilet or experienced leakage
- What product you were wearing and whether you had to change it and/or your clothing
- What activity you were doing when leakage occurred (sleeping, watching TV, driving, etc.)
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Click here to print your log:
www.depend.com/learn/diary_form.asp
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