What to Avoid Eating With a UTI

Roughly one in five women will have at least one urinary tract infection (UTI) during her lifetime; after menopause that percentage increases significantly. The primary cause is urogenital atrophy, which is the deterioration of the urinary tract and vagina, caused by a reduction in the female hormone known as estrogen.

No matter how often the infection occurs, however,  it is very unpleasant to deal with the pain, pressure, and constant urge to urinate. With that in mind, there may be some changes you can make in your diet to help reduce your risk of developing a UTI. Continue reading today’s post to see what foods you should avoid eating.

Symptoms of a Bladder Infection

Not everyone with a bladder infection will have these obvious symptoms, but some common signs that you should be aware of include:

• Bloody urine (can look red, bright pink, or cola-colored)
• Pressure or cramping in the low abdomen
• Strong smelling urine
• Kidney or bladder stones
• Low-grade fever or chills
• Pain during sexual intercourse
• Frequent trips to the bathroom
• Pelvic pain
• Stinging or burning sensation when urinating
• Strong, persistent need to urinate
• Cloudy urine

Balancing The Composition of Your Urine

When you’re healthy, your urine has a good balance of acidity and alkalinity.  What does that mean? Basically it becomes more acidic, or less acidic (alkaline), based on the things that you eat and drink. When you have an active UTI, and the E Coli bacteria get into your urinary tract, they cause your urine to become much less acidic (very alkaline).  So the thinking used to be that to prevent bacteria growth, you needed to make your urine more acidic.  But researchers at

Washington University School of Medicine have found just the opposite: making urine less acidic inhibits bacteria growth. 

So, while you are taking the Goodbye UTI supplement, which will wash the bacteria out of your urine, you can prevent new bacteria from taking hold by actively managing what you eat and drink. Check out our list below.  

Diagnosing a UTI

Urinary tract infection test strips measure the acidity and alkalinity of your urine and a few other things.  These strips, which can be purchased at your local drug store or online, can provide a simple first step to finding out if a UTI is present and if it is improving over the first few days.  But it’s important to know that they are not as comprehensive and reliable as the tests your doctor can perform, so if your test results and symptoms have not improved in 48 hours, you should seek a professional medical opinion. 

What to Avoid

Coffee

If you love your morning cup or cups of coffee, then you may need to scale back for a while to avoid increasing your UTI symptoms. Caffeine is actually a known bladder irritant, which means that it can also worsen your symptoms. If you suffer from chronic inflammation of the bladder, then you definitely want to find an alternative to your morning cup of java. Once you are UTI-free, you can resume drinking coffee as normal. 

Alcohol

Whether you enjoy beer, wine, or liquor, they may be the reason that your UTI symptoms are worse. Just as they can irritate your stomach if you have acid reflux or an ulcer, they can also irritate your bladder. You should make sure to increase your intake of water to help flush the bacteria from your system. Since alcoholic beverages also act as diuretics, which means they dehydrate your body more quickly, it’s important to avoid them until your urinary tract infection is eliminated. 

Acidic Fruits and Drinks

While you may enjoy adding lemons to your water you’ll want to avoid all acidic fruits when you have a UTI. So cut back on:

• Cranberries and cranberry juice (yes that’s right, despite the old wive’s tale)
• Oranges and orange juice

The acid in these fruits can irritate your bladder, which will make your symptoms more painful and pronounced. 

Dairy

You would think that dairy products which coat your stomach when it’s acidic would be okay,  but they don’t help your urine in the same way. Cut back on:

• Butter
• Cheese
• Milk, including almond and soy milk

Other Things To Avoid

Protein: bacon, beef, fish, eggs, pork, turkey, veal

Grains: corn, oatmeal, rice, rye, white pasta

Certain Vegetables: black beans, chickpeas, olives, winter squash

What to Enjoy 

 Is there anything left that you CAN eat or drink more of to help with your UTI?  The good news is that here are long lists of items that will make your urine more alkaline, less acidic.  Here are the highlights...

Leafy Vegetables 

High in vitamin C, a known immunity booster, leafy vegetables are great: broccoli, brussels sprouts, beets and beet greens, carrots, cucumbers, peas, green beans, lettuce, onions, spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms.  

Fruits

Any fruit besides cranberries and oranges will be helpful.  And although it might seem that citrus fruits would have an acidifying effect, the citric acid they contain has an alkalising effect in your urine. So, feel free to munch away on apples, strawberries, bananas, cherries, grapes, tangerines, raisins and watermelon.

Papaya is rich in carotenoids like beta-carotene and lycopene, which have powerful immune-boosting properties. An easy way to add papaya to your diet is to cook it in coconut milk with onions and garlic, and purée into a creamy soup. 

Spices and Seasonings

Once again, thinking about spicy things when you’re burning up may seem strange. More chili pepper, curry, and ginger will actually help. 

Cinnamon is also known for its antibacterial properties and is rich in compounds that reduce inflammation and inhibit the growth of bacteria. Some studies show that cinnamon prevents the colonization of E. coli, which is the bacteria responsible for most UTIs. You can add cinnamon to your diet through caffeine-free cinnamon chai beverages or sprinkle it on pancakes and toast. 

Garlic

Aside from being delicious, garlic is high in allicin and other compounds, which have antibacterial and antimicrobial activities that enhance your body’s immune system. Studies have shown that it can be an effective treatment for recurring UTIs. Since allicin is easily damaged by heat, it’s best to use raw garlic for the most effective benefits.

D-Mannose

D-mannose is a sugar that naturally occurs in a variety of fruits and vegetables and it may help prevent UTIs. There are also a number of studies that show D-mannose can inhibit the adhesion of bacteria cells to the urinary tract by binding to them, which then causes them to be eliminated through urination. 

Natural UTI Supplement

Goodbye UTI®, is 100% pure D-Mannose powder and is the best natural food product to take to make your urinary tract healthier.  Mix this natural sugar powder into your morning coffee or smoothie with a glass of water to enjoy easy-to-take, fast-acting relief, or prevent future UTI’s from happening.  Don’t wait another day, order your natural UTI supplement today.