Interstitial Cystitis Diet

If only we had a dollar for every well-intentioned family member or friend who encourage urology patients to drink cranberry juice because they believed it was “good for bladder problems!” Unfortunately, they are also wrong. Research has confirmed that foods and beverages high in acid and caffeine can worsen bladder and prostate symptoms in some but not all patients. Many IC’ers struggle with diet sensitivity because they have active Hunner’s lesions (i.e. a large wound on their bladder) or their bladder wall mucosal barrier has thinned due to chemical injury or estrogen atrophy. Something as simple as a daily cup of coffee or a multivitamin can provoke serious and potentially long term pain and discomfort. The interstitial cystitis diet is simple, affordable and can help reduce bladder irritation!

• Understanding the IC Diet – Why Some Foods Hurt
• The IC Food Lists – Finding Bladder Friendly Foods
• The Most Irritating Foods & Beverages For The Bladder
• Gluten, Food Sensitivities & IC
• Celiac, Gluten & Interstitial Cystitis
• Shopping For IC: Navigating The Supermarket Aisles
• How to Do An Elimination Diet
• The IC Diet Project – A Monthly Collection of Blogs on IC & Low Acid Eating
• Fresh Tastes by Bev – More Than 100 blogs & 200 recipes about the IC Diet by author Bev Laumann
• ICN On-Line Recipe Archive – More than a thousand recipes submitted by IC patients!
• Guest Lectures by Bev Laumann, Barbara Shorter RD and Julie Beyer RD on the IC Diet
• Diet and IC Discussions in the ICN Forum. Ask questions about diet here
• Recommended Books & Cookbooks on the IC Diet
• The Five Step Coffee Challenge – Working your way back to coffee
• Frequently Asked Questions About The IC Diet

Frequently Asked Questions

• “What if foods don’t bother my bladder?”
• “Should I buy organic fruits and veggies?”
• “How much water should I drink?”
• “I’m afraid to eat anything. What should I do?”
• “I react to some foods on the Bladder Friendly/Safe list. Why?”
• “Why can I eat a food one day and, a few days later, flare from it?”
• “Why does my food tolerance vary with my menstrual cycle?”
• “I feel like I react to every food. What should I do?”
• “I can’t live without my soda. What should I do?”
• “Coffee in the morning helps me have a bowel movement. What should I do?”
• “I’ve lived on junk food. It’s what I’ve always eaten but now it hurts. What can I do?”
• “I’m not a cook. I don’t really know how to cook, what should I do?”
• “Some acidic foods, like lemon, become alkaline in the body. Shouldn’t I eat these?”
• “Should I drink alkaline water For My IC?”
• “Is juicing safe for IC?”

Prelief Can Help Reduce Acid

Foods high in acid, such as coffee, orange or cranberry juice, chocolate, and hundreds of others, create tremendous irritation in much the same way that acid poured on a wound on your hand would feel. It hurts. Now, IC’ers are finding that taking Prelief tablets or granulate with those acid foods is a great help. A  study, Hill, et al, done on 750 IC patients in New York, confirmed that non-drug Prelief was of better help with IC pain and symptoms than any oral drug or any invasive procedure, including surgery, with few or no side-effects. Prelief is a dietary supplement that takes the acid out of foods, and does it very well. Prelief is available through many local drug stores, the Prelief website and, of course, through the ICN Shop.