Major Dietary Irritants to the Urinary Tract

If you are experiencing incontinence or problems with your pelvic floor the following foods, can irritate your urinary tract and should be avoided:

• Alcoholic beverages
• Cranberry juice and or cranberries
• Lemon juice
• Carbonated drinks, esp. colasChili/spicy foods, esp. HOT foods
• Coffee
• Acidic Foods
• Chocolate
• Artificial sweeteners

Vitamins that you may take:

• Vitamin C (calcium ascorbate co-buffered with calcium carbonate)
• Vitamin E (take in powder form vs. the oil capsules)
• Vitamin B6 is the only Vitamin B you should take.

Substitutions that you can make in your diet:

1. Coffee that has the acid removed. KAVA and ROMBAUTS are two brands found in grocery stores.
2. Herbal teas, which do not have large amounts of citrus. Weak non-herbal teas, dunk the tea bag in water 4-5 times quickly, and then drink.
3. Ovaltine instead of chocolate drinks.
4. Fruit juices: apricot nectar, pear nectar, and papaya juice.
5. Late harvest dessert wines (they have low acid content)
6. Fructose to sweeten vs. other artificial sweeteners.
7. Carob instead of chocolate in recipes.
8. Orange and or lime peel scrapings for flavor- but be sure not to use the white part of the rind.