Diet and bladder problems, with dietitian Helen Bond

If you experience bladder problems, you’ll be glad to hear that as well as traditional medical treatments, there are a number of ways you can adjust your eating habits to improve your bladder control and contrary to what you might think, it’s not just what you drink that matters. Slight changes to what you eat can make a big difference too. It needn’t be complicated. Just try and stick to the following guidelines.

Watch your alcohol intake. It is important to keep to sensible limits when consuming alcohol and avoid binge drinking, especially shorts which can irritate the bladder. Alcoholic drinks might also make you want to urinate far more than non-alcoholic ones do. Don’t forget that if you’re watching your weight, alcohol can undo your efforts at trying to eat healthily. That’s because it’s high in so-called empty calories and can weaken your willpower when it comes to resisting higher fat and sugary foods; all of which can make you gain weight and as a result, might make your bladder problems even worse.

Some people find that drinks containing Caffeine or fizzy drinks, especially diet drinks sweetened with artificial sweeteners, can aggravate their bladder problems. So, it may be worthwhile opting for decaffeinated coffee and tea, naturally flavoured mineral waters or plain water instead. Be smart about juice. Drinking one or two glasses of cranberry juice every day can often help people who get urinary infections. It stops the bacteria sticking to the lining of your urinary tract. Look out for pure cranberry juices with a cranberry content of around 20-25%. Always speak to your GP or pharmacist for advice before taking cranberry capsules or drinks, particularly if you are Diabetic or taking the blood thinning medicine, Warfarin.

Don’t get dehydrated. Don’t deprive yourself of fluid because you’re worried about getting to the toilet in time because this can be just as damaging to your bladder and lead to other health concerns. You get around 20% of your fluid intake from food. The rest should be made up by drinking 1.2 litres per day. That’s 6-8 glasses; not all at once, but spread throughout the day.

Fill up on fibre. Eat lots of fruit and vegetables and other high fibre foods. That’s wholemeal or whole-wheat bread, brown rice, wholemeal pasta and wholegrain cereals. These will all help prevent constipation, which can put extra pressure on your bladder. And don’t forget; think about losing some weight. Any excess pounds you are carrying can put additional stress on your bladder and pelvic floor muscles. Losing just a few pounds can make a real difference to improving your bladder control and overall health. Finally, cut back on salt. It can cause your body to retain water and could make your bladder problems worse.