Recent theories and studies suggest that our diet can have an impact on our bladder health; from urinary tract infections to urinary incontinence or leakage – what we eat and drink can work to our benefit or detriment. 

Here are some tips to consider when consuming food and drink for bladder health…

  • Ensure You Get Plenty of Fluids
    There’s a lot of differing opinions on how much water we should ingest each day.  However a hard and fast rule would be to drink half your body weight in ounces of fluid each day.  So for example, if you weigh 140 lbs, you would be drinking 70 oz of fluid each day (at a minimum).  It should be noted that at least ⅔ of your fluid intake, should be water.
  • Don’t Reduce Your Fluid to Reduce Your Trips to the Bathroom 
    Believe it or not, when you do this, you are actually dehydrating yourself, which increases the concentration of your urine – which your bladder finds incredibly irritating.  And when your bladder is irritated, it oftentimes results in increased urgency and frequency, resulting in increased trips to the bathroom.
  • Limit Well-known Bladder Irritants
    This includes alcohol, caffeine, chocolate, carbonated beverages, and fluids that are considered highly acidic such as coffee (decaf too!)  and citrus juices. Try instead drinks such as non-citrus herbal tea (ginger tea is a nice alternative, as it can actually be soothing to the bladder walls) as well as fruits like watermelon and papaya.
  • Quit Smoking
    Smoking is known to be a risk factor for urinary incontinence.  There is also increased incidences of stress incontinence due to coughing that often accompanies smoking as well.  If you don’t currently smoke – good, don’t start.
  • Get Plenty of Fiber
    Ensuring you get plenty of fiber in your diet will decrease the likelihood of you suffering from constipation.  When we’re constipated and try to evacuate the bowels, it causes increased pressure on our pelvic floor and can lead to pelvic organ prolapse, which then in turn leads to increased risk for urinary (and fecal) incontinence.  Foods that are high in fiber include whole grains, vegetables and fruits.
  • Talk to a Pelvic Floor Therapist
    Pelvic Floor Physical Therapists can help you navigate through all the dos and don’ts of the Bladder Diet Theories.  Everyone is different and sometimes you don’t need to eliminate all irritants, just find those that are irritating to your bladder.

   For a quick and easy Happy Bladder Smoothie idea, try the following recipe:

Banana Oatmeal Smoothie:

1 banana, halved

¼ cup old fashioned rolled oats

½ cup plain greek yogurt

½ cup almond milk

2 teaspoons honey

⅛ teaspoon cinnamon