A urinary tract infection is a painful infection in your urethra, ureters, kidneys or bladder. Most commonly the infection occurs in your bladder or urethra and causes a constant need to urinate, a burning sensation when urinating, cloudy urine and strong-smelling urine. A urinary tract infection can be uncomfortable and may get in the way of your daily life. Consuming certain foods may bring you some relief.
Water
Water is the most effective fluid to help ease and eliminate your urinary tract infection. Drinking plenty of water can help flush out the bacteria causing the infection, so your symptoms disappear. Water works by diluting your urine so the bacteria can be removed from your urinary tract more quickly than if you drink other beverages. MayoClinic.com recommends plain water over any other type of beverage, including, coffee, alcohol, fruit juice and soda. Drink several glasses of water every couple of hours to get the most benefit.
Cranberries
Cranberries contain a compound that prevents the bacteria causing your infection from sticking to the walls of your urinary tract. Cranberries allow your urine to wash away any bacteria before it can stick to the walls, causing an infection. Cranberries can be taken in supplemental or whole form. You can eat whole cranberries plain, squeezed into juice or cooked into cranberry sauce to reap these benefits. Unsweetened dried cranberries may have healing powers as well. Unsweetened cranberry juice can also ease symptoms. Make sure any cranberry juice you drink does not contain added sugar, because those juices are not as effective in treating your symptoms.
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes supply you with a good dose of beta-carotene, which may help treat your symptoms. Beta-carotene is a potent vitamin in sweet potatoes that may boost your immune system so you can fight off a urinary tract infection more quickly and easily. It is recommended that you get between 25,000 and 50,000 IU of beta-carotene daily when fighting a urinary tract infection. In addition to sweet potatoes, other foods can help you consume more of this important nutrient, including apricots, cantaloupe, carrots, mango, leafy greens, peaches, papaya and pumpkin. Your doctor may prescribe a supplement if you cannot reach this amount with diet alone.
References
- Mayo Clinic: Urinary Tract Infection
- "The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods"; Michael T. Murray, Joseph Pizzorno and Lara Pizzorno; 2005
- "The Complete Book of Nutritional Healing"; Deborah Mitchell and Winifred Conkling; 2008
