What to Eat and What to Avoid

By Casey Bloom

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a disease that involves the infection and inflammation of your urinary system. When you have a UTI, you may experience pain while urinating, frequent urination, and side and lower back pains. Some of the common treatments for UTI include antibiotics and pain medications. However, these UTI medications may have side effects, such as fever, stomachaches, and some allergic reactions.

To avoid resorting to antibiotics, people may tend to look for natural remedies for UTI. Herbal treatments, like cranberries, green tea, or garlic, are commonly used by people with UTI. Research says that cranberry and Lactobacillus products are the most promising alternative to antibiotics. In combination with propolis, these products are said to have the most robust results⁽¹⁾. Despite these findings, further studies are needed to verify these propositions.

Foods to Eat for UTI Prevention

Your diet can help prevent UTI. Eating healthy food promotes urinary tract health and may fight against infections.

The following food groups may be ingested to avoid persistent UTI.

1. Berries: cranberries, raspberries, bananas, and blueberries
2. High-Fiber Food: apples, whole grain bread, lentils, and beans
3. Probiotics: yogurts and fermented food, like sauerkraut and pickles
4. Fruits With Vitamin C: lemon, oranges, strawberries, and leafy vegetables
5. Water: you can mix your water with cucumber or mint

Meanwhile, these are examples of food that may worsen the symptoms of UTI:

1. Alcohol: wine, beer, and liquor
2. Caffeinated Drinks: coffee, energy drinks, and brewed tea
3. Spicy Food
4. Carbonated Drinks: fruit soda, ginger ale, and cola

What Is UTI?

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is caused by a bacterial infection in the urinary system. This system encompasses the kidney, bladder, and ureter. Examination of urine culture and urinalysis are used to diagnose UTI.

Some UTI symptoms include⁽²⁾:

• Cloudy urine
• Urine with a pungent smell
• Pelvic pain (in women)
• Pain when urinating
• Urge to urinate
• Small amounts of frequent urination
• Blood in the urine

This condition can be prevented by drinking a lot of fluids and practicing good hygiene.

Drinking plenty of water may help remove bacteria from your urinary tract. Meanwhile, good hygiene may prevent E.coli (bacteria) from entering the urinary tract.

References

1. Loubet, P., Ranfaing, J., Dinh, A., Dunyach-Remy, C., Bernard, L., Bruyère, F., Lavigne, J. P., & Sotto, A. (2020). Alternative Therapeutic Options to Antibiotics for the Treatment of Urinary Tract Infections. Frontiers in microbiology, 11, 1509. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2020.01509
2. The Mayo Clinic, (n.d.), UTI, retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/urinary-tract-infection/symptoms-causes/syc-20353447