Bananas, apples, grapes, coconut and watermelon are good options for those with overactive bladder. Vegetables – Leafy greens, like kale, lettuce, cucumber, squash, potatoes, broccoli, carrots, celery and bell peppers. Whole grains, like oats, barley, farro, and quinoa (also a great protein).
The key is to know which foods are more likely to irritate your bladder and which ones are more likely to soothe. In general, you will want to avoid coffee, alcohol, citrus fruits, tomato-based products, artificial sweeteners and spicy foods.
Water is the best drink of choice to keep your bladder pain under control. It will also provide other benefits such as healthy skin, increased energy, reduced toxin levels, and a boosted metabolism. You'll want to stay away from acidic, caffeinated, or alcoholic beverages such as fruit juice, coffee, beer, and soda.
Eat Yogurt
But not nearly as many people are aware that probiotics in yogurt could help their urinary systems, too. In fact, yogurt can help fight urinary tract infections, which could also help prevent the development of more serious urinary problems, including bladder cancer.
Skip alcohol. Limit drinks with caffeine, such as coffee, tea and cola. They can cause you to urinate more. Know that foods such as soup add to the total amount of fluids.
Some people have noticed that milk and dairy are especially problematic with overactive bladder syndrome so it may be beneficial to consider going dairy-free. Try reducing your intake of milk, cheese, and other products that are high in lactose to reduce symptoms of incontinence.
What foods calm the bladder? The American Urological Association also recognizes some foods as potentially having a calming effect on sensitive bladders. These foods include pears, bananas, green beans, squash, potatoes, lean proteins, whole grains, nuts, bread, and eggs.
Chocolate can irritate your bladder for the same exact reason: caffeine. While it has less caffeine than coffee and tea, it is still enough to exacerbate bladder symptoms. If you just absolutely need a sweet fix, though, stick with white chocolate for less caffeine.
Tomatoes – The acidity in tomatoes may irritate your bladder. Foods that contain tomatoes, such as pasta or pizza sauce, ketchup and salsa, may also affect symptoms. Citrus fruits – Foods like oranges, grapefruits, lemons and limes are also acidic and can affect bladder control.
Dairy products are known as bladder irritants. Those that can be especially bad are aged dairy products like aged cheese and sour cream.
Buchu: Buchu has been used for many years as a remedy for a number of health problems. Buchu is said to alleviate symptoms of urinary tract infections and OAB, though it could be that buchu tea is caffeine free, which on its own can help alleviate symptoms of bladder control problems.
FOODS TO INCORPORATE IF YOU HAVE OAB
Lean Proteins – fish, chicken breast, turkey, low fat beef and pork are good options. Eggs are also a good source of protein if you're trying to avoid meat.
Strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries have high levels of vitamin C, which can help your bladder stave off bad bacteria. Berries have high water content, so they can also help you flush out your urinary tract system throughout the day to avoid UTIs.
Caffeine, artificial sweeteners, alcohol, chocolate and very spicy foods may make OAB symptoms worse. OAB does not cause pain. If you feel pain while urinating, you may have an infection . Please talk with your health care provider about pain.
Overall, breads are bladder-friendly and a nice addition to meals. Bread is also great for delicious turkey sandwiches after Thanksgiving. Nuts. Almonds, cashews and peanuts are healthy snacks and rich in protein.
Some people with an overactive bladder may find that milk and dairy products make their symptoms worse. People with the related condition interstitial cystitis, which is a chronic inflammation of the bladder wall and also causes a frequent urge to urinate, tend to have problems with certain dairy products, Koch says.
Acidic Fruits: Tomatoes, oranges, strawberries – all of these fruits have some degree of acidity associated with them. As such, they cause irritation to the bladder liner and urinary tract, which leads to more frequent urination.
While we mentioned above some beverages that irritate your bladder, there are also some things you can drink to try to help soothe your bladders, such as plain water, milk, and no-sugar-added cranberry juice. They're also foods you can eat to soothe your bladder and keep it at its healthiest.