There is nothing like going to the movie theatre and getting a bag of popcorn and a cold soda with it. But, have you noticed that every time you go to the movies that you quickly need to use the bathroom? The culprit behind it is your soda. Check out our list of other bladder irritant foods & drinks and see why you should stay away from them.
Why Am I Peeing So Much?
When your bladder gets full, it signals to your brain that you have to pee. Consuming beverages with caffeine such as soda can irritate your bladder. Caffeine is known as a diuretic that promotes the production of urine in your body and makes you need to pee more often. (1) Both caffeine & artificial sweeteners can aggravate your bladder. There are other bladder irritant foods and drinks that can have the same effect. Check out which foods & drinks to stay away from, especially if you have urinary incontinence or an overactive bladder that can increase the chance of an unexpected bladder leak.
Bladder Irritant Foods To Stay Away From
Certain foods can irritate your bladders such as citrus fruits like oranges and lemons. Spicy foods and tomato-based products can also cause you to pee more frequently. Harvey Winkler, Co-Chief of Urogynecology from North Shore Long Island Jewish Medical System from N.Y says “If you want to eat foods with flavor, you can use some herbs instead of spices.” He also says “don’t let citrus scare you away from other fruits, such as apples, blueberries, and pears, which provide key nutrients as well as a healthy dose of fiber.” (3)
Quick Tip: Love pasta? Add carrots or potatoes in the pot to help neutralize the acidity from the tomato sauce.
The Cleveland Clinic lists these foods as bladder irritants:
- Apples.
- Bananas.
- Brewer’s yeast.
- Canned figs.
- Cantaloupes.
- Cheese.
- Chicken livers.
- Chilies/spicy foods.
- Chocolate.
- Citrus fruits.
- Corned beef.
- Cranberries.
- Fava beans.
- Grapes.
- Guava.
- Lima beans.
- Nuts — hazelnuts (also called filberts), pecans and pistachios
- Mayonnaise.
- NutraSweet.™
- Onions (raw).
- Peaches.
- Pickled herring.
- Pineapple.
- Plums.
- Prunes.
- Raisins.
- Rye bread.
- Saccharin.
- Sour cream.
- Soy sauce.
- Strawberries.
- Tomatoes.
- Vinegar.
- Vitamins buffered with aspartame.
- Yogurt.
Bladder Irritant Drinks To Stay Away From
Other caffeinated beverages that can irritate your bladder are coffee, tea, & carbonated drinks. Even if the label says no caffeine, it can still bother your bladder. Also, alcoholic beverages can make you pee more frequently. In simplistic terms, drinking alcohol can stop an anti-diuretic hormone that allows your kidneys to return water to your bloodstream. (2) This means that your kidneys are consuming liquids at a faster than normal rate, urging you to urinate more quickly.
The Cleveland Clinic lists these drinks as bladder irritants:
- All alcoholic beverages, including beer & champagne.
- Coffee
- Apple juice.
- Carbonated drinks.
- Lemon juice.
- Tea — black or green, regular or decaffeinated, and herbal blends that contain black or green tea.
Urinary Incontinence & Overactive Bladder Tips
For men and women who have urinary incontinence, we recommend staying away from bladder irritant foods & drinks and slowly incorporate them back into your diet. Adjusting your diet can help in many other ways as well. Increasing your intake of vegetables & water can help with digestion & bowel regularity.
We also suggest seeing a Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist who can help to identify if you have stress or urinary incontinence. From there, they can help provide you with exercises & other recommendations on how to reduce unexpected bladder leaks & urges.
Also, make sure to check out our patented supplement for bladder control for both men & women. Rejoice Plus® was formulated by our pharmacist Mike Allen, R.Ph & contains all-natural ingredients plus HyperPure Pumpkin Seed Extract which has been clinically proven to help reduce bladder leaks & reduce the number of times you need to use the bathroom. Rejoice Plus offers 24-hour protection for both men & women.
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Take the 40-Day Rejoice Plus Challenge to help reduce OAB & urinary incontinence.
Credited Sources Below
(1) https://www.purewow.com/wellness/What-Might-Happen-if-You-Give-Up-Soda
(2) https://www.thoughtco.com/why-does-alcohol-make-you-pee-607448
(3) https://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20540820,00.html
Additional info: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/urinary-incontinence/in-depth/bladder-control-problem/art-20046597 , https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/14244-bladder-irritating-foods
