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Are you suffering from a bad, recurring case of UTI? Staying away from these substances that may be found in your food and drinks can help you feel better.
Urinary tract infections are, in reality, caused by certain types of bacteria, one of the most common of which is the Escherichia coli. But that doesn’t mean you can attribute your frequent bathroom trips to these mean species alone. In fact, as explained by this UTI resource, there are plenty of surprising causes of UTI. Plus, some of the food and drinks you consume may contain substances that are irritating your urinary tract even more. Here are the top five food ingredients you need to avoid to keep your UTI at bay.
Sure, your daily cup of coffee gives you the jumpstart you need every morning. In fact, you probably won’t survive without it. But if you’re currently suffering, or have recently suffered from UTI, try to minimize your caffeine intake. Studies have shown that caffeine can irritate the linings on the kidneys and urinary tract, as it’s largely considered a diuretic. This means that it can make you urinate more often, leading to exacerbated UTI symptoms. So until you’re sure that your UTI has been completely cured, stay away from all food and drinks that contain caffeine such as chocolates, energy drinks, and others.
You may already know that alcoholic drinks such as wine, beer, and other types of liquor can mess up with your digestion, but these beverages may be bad for your bladder, too. For one thing, alcohol is known to cause dehydration, which is strongly linked to UTI. High levels of alcohol intoxication may also impair the brain’s ability to send signals to the rest of your body, which can prevent your urinary system from carrying out its functions well.You may want to eliminate alcohol from your diet temporarily to allow your urinary tract and other organs to recuperate.
If you love your spices, you should think twice before consuming too much of them, especially if you want to manage your UTI well. For sure, your health provider would advise you to stop consuming spicy food altogether until your UTI symptoms are quelled. Spices can irritate your bladder, causing it to be overactive. This is especially true for women, who are more likely to suffer from recurrent cystitis or infection of the bladder. To recover swiftly from UTI, you may opt for blander food choices in the meantime. Doing away with salt and MSG would be wise, too, especially if your urinary problems are becoming more and more alarming.
Yet another good reason to quit smoking is to protect your bladder from a long range of embarrassing problems, such as incontinence—the strong and sudden need to urinate. Studies showed that this affects more women than men. According to Sharon Knight, MD, from the University of California, San Francisco, nicotine can infect the bladder with toxins and make it hard for it to expand and shrink, therefore making it dysfunctional. Plus, frequent coughing, which is another negative effect of smoking, adds extra weight to the bladder, making your UTI symptoms worse.
Artificial sweeteners aren’t just bad for your waistline. According to Mary Jane Minkin, MD, from the Yale School of Medicine, overloading on your favorite sweets can also cause a significant blood sugar surge, and some of that sugar may end up in your urinary tract. The worst thing is, the bacteria that cause UTI feed on sugar, so you’re therefore making yourself a vulnerable host if you can’t curb your sweet tooth.
Urinary tract infections are, in reality, caused by certain types of bacteria, one of the most common of which is the Escherichia coli. But that doesn’t mean you can attribute your frequent bathroom trips to these mean species alone. In fact, as explained by this UTI resource, there are plenty of surprising causes of UTI. Plus, some of the food and drinks you consume may contain substances that are irritating your urinary tract even more. Here are the top five food ingredients you need to avoid to keep your UTI at bay.
1. Caffeine
Sure, your daily cup of coffee gives you the jumpstart you need every morning. In fact, you probably won’t survive without it. But if you’re currently suffering, or have recently suffered from UTI, try to minimize your caffeine intake. Studies have shown that caffeine can irritate the linings on the kidneys and urinary tract, as it’s largely considered a diuretic. This means that it can make you urinate more often, leading to exacerbated UTI symptoms. So until you’re sure that your UTI has been completely cured, stay away from all food and drinks that contain caffeine such as chocolates, energy drinks, and others.
2. Alcohol
You may already know that alcoholic drinks such as wine, beer, and other types of liquor can mess up with your digestion, but these beverages may be bad for your bladder, too. For one thing, alcohol is known to cause dehydration, which is strongly linked to UTI. High levels of alcohol intoxication may also impair the brain’s ability to send signals to the rest of your body, which can prevent your urinary system from carrying out its functions well.You may want to eliminate alcohol from your diet temporarily to allow your urinary tract and other organs to recuperate.
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3. Spicy food
If you love your spices, you should think twice before consuming too much of them, especially if you want to manage your UTI well. For sure, your health provider would advise you to stop consuming spicy food altogether until your UTI symptoms are quelled. Spices can irritate your bladder, causing it to be overactive. This is especially true for women, who are more likely to suffer from recurrent cystitis or infection of the bladder. To recover swiftly from UTI, you may opt for blander food choices in the meantime. Doing away with salt and MSG would be wise, too, especially if your urinary problems are becoming more and more alarming.
4. Nicotine
Yet another good reason to quit smoking is to protect your bladder from a long range of embarrassing problems, such as incontinence—the strong and sudden need to urinate. Studies showed that this affects more women than men. According to Sharon Knight, MD, from the University of California, San Francisco, nicotine can infect the bladder with toxins and make it hard for it to expand and shrink, therefore making it dysfunctional. Plus, frequent coughing, which is another negative effect of smoking, adds extra weight to the bladder, making your UTI symptoms worse.
5. Sugar
Artificial sweeteners aren’t just bad for your waistline. According to Mary Jane Minkin, MD, from the Yale School of Medicine, overloading on your favorite sweets can also cause a significant blood sugar surge, and some of that sugar may end up in your urinary tract. The worst thing is, the bacteria that cause UTI feed on sugar, so you’re therefore making yourself a vulnerable host if you can’t curb your sweet tooth.