If you have received a diagnosis of interstitial cystitis, you may have already dealt with considerable discomfort and frustration. This chronic bladder inflammation causes complications such as urinary tract infections, significant pain, urinary frequency and painful sexual intercourse. One approach to managing the symptoms of IC is a high-alkaline diet, which can contribute to your bladder healing and overall well-being.
How Foods Irritate the Bladder
Interstitial cystitis affects the bladder by causing either a patchy or generalized thinning of the protective mucous membrane lining the bladder wall. The breakdown in this protective membrane allows urine and all the chemicals it contains to come into contact with the bladder wall itself, causing widespread irritation or even erosion of the bladder, according to an article on Googlehealth.
If the bladder lining already shows compromise due to interstitial cystitis, acidic foods such as tomatoes, cola, coffee and citrus juices can cause urine pH to change. Highly acidic urine irritates the bladder wall even more, which increases the symptoms--and the suffering--of interstitial cystitis. Therefore, some patients with interstitial cystitis may respond to a diet that contains an increase in alkaline or alkaline-producing foods, according to an article posted on the National Library of Medicine.
Food pH And Interstitial Cystitis
Every chemical that enters or exits the body has a certain pH. This measurement reflects a chemical's acidity or alkalinity, and 7.0 is a neutral pH; anything with a lower pH number has a higher acidity and anything with a higher pH number has a higher alkalinity. Normal body pH is roughly 7.35 to 7.45, so the human body as a whole tends toward a slight alkalinity.
Some controversy exists as to the relevance of food or urine pH on interstitial cystitis, says ICNetwork.com. Various "IC Diet" food lists identify foods that are acceptable for interstitial cystitis patients. Some acid foods such as orange juice can produce alkalinity in the urine, and some alkaline foods such as meat make urine more acidic. This is because the foods themselves don't come directly into contact with the bladder; instead, their metabolites and byproducts enter the bladder after processing in the kidney. Also, some foods may have an alkaline pH by themselves but may produce acidity in the body as they are digested or metabolized. Furthermore, studies are inconclusive as to the effects of known urine alkalizing medications or supplements. Some patients say these medicines improve their symptoms, others say they do nothing or make things even worse. The reasons for this are not yet clear.
A trend does exist toward placing more acidic foods into the category identified as most likely to cause flare-ups, however, and so a more alkaline diet may help for some patients. Since different people with interstitial cystitis respond to dietary changes in widely varied ways, what works for one person may not work for another.
Acid and Alkaline Foods
Many unprocessed, plant-based whole foods have an alkaline pH or produce an alkaline state in the body. Most fruits, nuts, and non-spicy vegetables have an alkaline pH both before and after digestion. Grains with complete proteins such as quinoa and amaranth contain high quality nutrition and promote digestion as well as promoting an alkaline environment in the bladder. Fruit juices such as grape and blueberry are alkaline in nature, while cranberry juice, a commonly recommended juice for patients prone to bladder problems, is highly acidic and often causes significant flare-ups.
The top foods on the interstitial cystitis diet restricted list generally have an acidic pH. Tomatoes, cranberry juice, and citrus juices contain large quantities of Vitamin C, also called ascorbic acid. Carbonation and phosphoric acid in cola lower its pH, and coffee is highly acidic. Tea contains varying amounts of tannic acid; black tea has a lower pH than white or green teas. Artificial sweeteners and artificial colors are often metabolized as acids in the body. Highly processed bakery items often contain preservatives that are either very acidic by themselves or promote production of acid within the body. Meats and fish, especially those that are cured or processed, may trigger symptoms in some IC sufferers.
In some patients, acid in foods can be neutralized somewhat prior to digestion by a supplement containing a food additive called calcium glycerophosphate. Studies about the effectiveness of this supplement, often sold under the brand name Prelief, have produced variable results, but for some patients it may help alleviate symptoms.
Identifying Trigger Foods
Most patients with interstitial cystitis should consider an "elimination diet" when identifying foods that cause flare-ups. This process involves keeping a "voiding diary" in which the patient tracks voiding frequency, pain levels, and food intake while on an unaltered baseline diet. Next, patients can subtract one food at a time and monitor the effects of removing each food from the diet. Beginning with the most accepted trigger foods, such as coffee, tea, carbonated soda, tomatoes, and chocolate, and working from there through other foods in other lists, most interstitial cystitis patients can identify their "forbidden foods" and get relief. The Interstitial Cystitis Network website provides a fairly comprehensive list of foods to try that is categorized by "Usually OK, Maybe OK, and "Usually Problematic" for interstitial cystitis patients. This list merely provides a guideline; some foods on the "Usually OK" list may bother some patients, while others can eat things on the "Maybe OK" or "Usually Problematic" lists with no ill effects.
Expert Insight
Experts now believe that Interstitial cystitis is not just one condition with one cause, but rather a cluster of different diseases all producing the same symptoms. Until more is known about the condition, patients must rely somewhat on a trial-and-error approach to managing their symptoms. Since an alkaline diet contains many foods that, aside from having an alkaline pH, are nutritious, unprocessed, and low in fat, most people could probably benefit from increasing these foods in their diets. Most people living with interstitial cystitis are willing to try almost anything to get relief, and since these foods are healthy, no harm will be done by trying an alkaline diet.
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