Oranges, dark chocolate, unsweetened probiotic yoghurt, tomatoes, broccoli, and spinach are foods that can repair UTI damage. Decaf coffee, pomegranate, cranberry, or blueberry juices, as well as black and green tea, are wise beverage selections when dealing with UTI's.
Foods and drinks high in antioxidants and with a slight acidic taste can help keep everything in check. These foods include cranberries, blueberries, oranges, dark chocolate, unsweetened probiotic yogurt, tomatoes, broccoli and spinach.
Acidic Fruits Can Worsen Symptoms of a Bladder Infection
So try to avoid lemons, oranges, grapefruits, and tomatoes when you're treating a UTI.
DO eat probiotics — plain Greek yogurt and fermented food such as sauerkraut and pickles. They contain “good” bacteria that can help keep the bad bacteria at bay. DON'T eat a lot of acidic fruit, such as oranges, lemons or limes during the infection. They can irritate your bladder.
“High blood sugars increase your risk of UTI, which is why it is common in poorly controlled diabetes,” she says. “Sugar can also impair immune function.” If you do have a UTI, stick to a no sugar and refined flour diet to keep blood sugar levels balanced and avoid the growth of bacteria.
Many foods also contain liquid and this counts towards the recommended amount of fluids; try eating more foods such as yoghurt, ice-cream, custard, and fruit. Hydrated – If your urine is this colour you are drinking enough fluids.
It is best to eat a healthy, whole-food diet when you have a UTI. Cranberries and other fresh fruit, leafy green veg, complex carbs such as whole grains and prebiotic foods including onions and leeks are all recommended. It is also important to drink plenty of water to flush out a urinary tract infection.
Alcohol can make a UTI feel worse. Alcohol increases the acidity of urine; this can cause the symptoms to worsen. This is true for other drinks as well, including coffee, soda and anything with caffeine.
The Ommoord study has a simple conclusion [1]. At least in the Netherlands, eating chicken and pork is associated with an increase in the odds of having drug-resistant UTIs, but eating cheese reduces this. Cheese, in this sense, appears to promote a urinary tract that can be more easily soothed.
Intercourse can worsen your symptoms and possibly make your infection worse. Sex during a UTI could also be uncomfortable or painful. DO NOT drink alcohol. While you should get plenty of fluids, you need to stay away from alcohol.
“It's estimated 50 percent of UTIs can be treated by drinking a significant amount of fluid alone," says Felecia Fick, a Mayo Clinic urogynecology physician assistant who was not involved in the study. "The extra you're drinking is flushing out the bacteria that are present in the urinary tract."
Yogurt. Eating yogurt and other cultured dairy products (fermented with “good” bacteria) regularly may decrease the risk for urinary tract infections by up to 80%.
Fermented foods, such as kefir, kimchi, and probiotic yogurt are all good sources, and so are dark, leafy vegetables (like spinach and kale) and mushrooms. There are other supplements you can take to help you battle regular UTIs: Garlic extract has been found to have antimicrobial properties.
Bladder irritants
Certain foods and beverages might irritate the bladder, including: Coffee, tea and drinks with bubbles, even without caffeine. Alcohol. Chocolate.
Foods that irritate the bladder include:
Caffeine – coffee, tea, cola and chocolate can increase bladder activity and act as a diuretic.
Also rich in protein, eggs are on several lists as one of the "least bothersome" foods for bladder conditions.
Avoid too many fizzy, caffeinated or alcoholic drinks (water, tea, milk or fruit juice are all fine). Make sure that older people or people with dementia are reminded to drink regularly as their sense of thirst can diminish.
Bananas and other high-fiber foods can be good for urinary tract health and preventing urinary tract infections (UTIs) by encouraging regular bowel movements and relieving pressure on urine flow.
The best things to drink when you have a UTI are water, electrolyte drinks that are low in sugar, and unsweetened cranberry juice. You should avoid drinks that can irritate your bladder when you have a UTI like caffeinated beverages, acidic drinks, and alcohol.
Summary. When a UTI is going away, people may notice improved symptoms such as less frequent or less painful urination, a decrease in the intensity of any other symptoms, and a resolution of any unusual urine odor or appearance. People can also use home testing strips to determine if their UTI has gone away.
Sugar, processed foods and refined carbohydrates can make any infection, including a UTI, worse by feeding unfriendly bacteria and reducing immune function.
Cranberries, blueberries, raspberries, and other berries support urinary tract health and offer protection against infection. Smoothies are a great way to consume a lot of berries in your diet. Oranges, dark chocolate, unsweetened probiotic yoghurt, tomatoes, broccoli, and spinach are foods that can repair UTI damage.
Many patients find the over-the-counter cranberry pills easier to take than multiple glasses of cranberry juice per day. Fluids. Drinking 2-3 liters (70-100 oz) of fluid per day helps flush bacteria out of the bladder.