Frequency/Urgency Special Diet
Certain foods can cause urinary frequency and urgency:
- Caffeinated beverages and foods
- Alcohol
- Spicy foods
- Citrus fruits and juices
- Carbonated beverages
- Milk and milk products
- Sugar or honey
- Artificial sweeteners
All of these foods and drinks contain irritants that can cause bladder spasms when they collect in the bladder. Theses spasms can create the sudden urge to urinate and increase the frequency of urination.
Caffeine and alcohol are diuretics, which means they make your kidneys procedure more urine. Even a moderate amount of alcohol, coffee, tea or soda will increase the amount of urine the bladder must manage.
Smoking also irritates the bladder and increases the risk of bladder cancer. People with overactive bladders should quit smoking.
Try following the diet below to see if you can identify any foods or drinks that are irritating to your bladder.
| ITEMS | FOODS ALLOWED | FOODS TO AVOID |
|---|---|---|
| Beverages | Water, alfalfa leaf tea, low acid wines, low acid coffee, sun tea | Alcohol (except low acid wines), carbonated drinks, chamomile tea, yogurt, goat’s milk, chocolate milk |
| Breads | White Bread, bread made of rice, millet, quinoa, buckwheat, sourdough, matzo | Rye bread, fresh baked yeast products |
| Cereals | Refined cooked or ready to eat cereal | None |
| Fats | Butter, margarine, vegetable oil | Mayonnaise, nuts, salad dressing |
| Fats | Butter, margarine, vegetable oil | Mayonnaise, nuts, salad dressing |
| Meat, Fish, Poultry | Beef, chicken, lamb, turkey, veal, blue fish, flounder, cod, halibut, salmon, sardines, scallops, snapper, sole, mackerel, tuna, crab, shrimp | Chicken liver, corned beef, pickled and fresh herring, smoked fish, caviar, anchovies, pork, bologna, pepperoni, liverwurst, salami, ham, bacon, sausage |
| Cheese | Cream cheese, cottage cheese, string cheese, velveeta, ricotta | Aged cheeses, boursalt, camembert, cheddar, emmenthale, stilton, blue, brie, brick, bruyers, mozzarella, romano, roquefort |
| Eggs | None | All |
| Vegetables | Acorn squash, alfalfa, beet, broccoli, bok choy, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, chicory, collard greens, carrot, celery, cucumber, cauliflower, cooked onions, shallots | Asparagus, beet greens, artichoke, chard, chilies, corn, dandelion greens, eggplant, mushroom, pickles |
| Beans, Potatoes | Akuki, navy beans, chick peas (garbanzos), split pea, kidney beans, peas | Potato, sweet potato, lima beans |
| Fruits & Fruit Juices | Apricot, pear, banana, blueberries, logan berries, Minute Maid® reduced acid juices, papaya, pickled plums (umbeboshi), watermelon | Canned figs, cranberries, plums, prunes, apples, cantaloupes, pickled watermelons, grapes, guava, peaches, pineapple, strawberries, bananas, raspberries, raisins, fresh figs, dates, papaya, pomegranates, fruit juices (except those that are allowed) |
| Deserts | Jell-O, custard, pudding, sherbet, blueberrypie, peppermint ice cream | Pie with nuts, or fruit on foods to avoidlist, cake |
| Sweets | Hard candy, syrup, white chocolate, popsicles | Commercial candies containing chocolate, NutraSweet®, saccharine |
| Spices | Rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil, marjoram, fennel, sage, dill | Soy sauce, vinegar, meat tenderizers, ginger, chili, cayenne pepper, salt |
| Miscellaneous | Aloe Vera, kuzu, golden seal tea | Brewer’s Yeast, soy sauce, Worcester shire sauce |
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