Some traditional Thanksgiving foods have the potential to irritate your bladder and cause symptoms of Overactive Bladder like strong, sudden urges to urinate – even when your bladder isn’t full.
Everyone’s body is different, and it’s important to add/remove potential irritants from your diet to find the foods that make your symptoms better or worse.
You may have a sensitivity to all, some, or none of these foods.
We realize that Thanksgiving isn’t the most opportune time for such testing, but if you have a history of OAB, you may watch out for some of these foods:
- Cranberry Sauce – Berries of any type can cause irritation to the bladder, and so can sugar – making cranberry sauce one of the most likely bladder irritants during Thanksgiving. Stick to fresh turkey without this topping, with a minimal-dairy gravy.
- Green Bean Casserole – The use of milk products in some recipes may irritate your bladder. For most people, dairy products have less potential to cause irritation compared to citrus fruit, tomatoes, coffee, and soda. A better alternative would be cornbread or stuffing/dressing (as long as it doesn’t contain fruit).
- Pecan Pie – Because of the high sugar content, pecan pie may irritate your bladder. A better alternative would be a home-made pumpkin pie that uses less sugar and doesn’t contain preservatives.
- Coffee –Even decaf coffee can cause bladder irritation, so it’s best to avoid altogether. A better alternative to coffee would be a non-citrus herbal tea. If you’re going to drink coffee, there are lower-acid varieties available, but caffeine may still cause irritation.
- Alcohol – Whatever your selection (Beer, Wine, Spirits), alcohol can cause bladder irritation – especially if carbonation is present. We won’t suggest a better alternative (like water), lest someone lob a turkey leg at us for even suggesting it as a suitable replacement.
Want more info? See our complete list of bladder irritants. Happy Thanksgiving!