Can cystitis and thrush be linked?
If you suffer from both recurring thrush and cystitis, or find that when you develop one, the other follows soon after, you’ll know how frustrating it can be.
Find out what the link isFoods to avoid with UTI
Sugar, processed foods and refined carbohydrates can make any infection, including a UTI, worse by feeding unfriendly bacteria and reducing immune function. Spicy food and citrus fruits are all bladder irritants, whilst coffee, alcohol and fizzy drinks can dehydrate you and make your urine more acidic, causing more pain and irritation.
1. Sugar
Sugar is one of the most important things to avoid with any infection, including a UTI. We are talking about refined processed sugar, not the natural sugar found in whole fresh fruits. Refined sugar can feed unfriendly bacteria, and this can make an infection worse - but it can also make you more prone to getting an infection.
Sugar reduces your general immune function as well. (1) This means that if you have a UTI, eating a lot of sugar can prolong an infection because your immune system won't be able to work as well to fight off the infection.
Sugar also disrupts our microbiome (2) which can hamper our immune function further. We also have a specific microbiome in our urinary tract, and eating sugar can make it easier for the bad bacteria to thrive and cause infection in this area specifically. (3)
Easy swap: Fresh whole fruit, particularly berries which are low in sugar.
Don't swap sugar for artificial sweeteners as these can be problematic for a UTI as well.
2. Refined carbohydrates
Refined carbohydrates, like white rice, white bread, white pasta, cakes and pastries, anything made with white flour really, will act like sugar in our bodies, because the beneficial fibre, which helps to slow down the absorption of the sugars, has been removed. This means they are good foods to avoid when you have a UTI for the same reason as refined sugar above.
Easy swap: Complex carbohydrates. Eg brown rice, wholewheat pasta, quinoa, buckwheat and wholegrain bread.
Caution with "brown bread" as it is often a mix of white and brown flour. Go for wholegrain stead, always read the labels to check the ingredients.
3. Citrus fruits
Lemons, limes, oranges and grapefruits are all really healthy and full of vitamin C. However, they are also quite acidic and can actually irritate the bladder and make the symptoms of a UTI worse.
There is no need to cut these wonderful immune-boosting vitamin C-packed foods out of your diet altogether, but it might be best to avoid them when you have an active urinary tract infection.
Easy swap: Apples, berries or other fruits instead. If you drink hot water and lemon in the mornings, try hot water with some ginger instead.
4. Spicy food
Hot spices like cayenne pepper, and spicy foods like jalapenos, are healthy foods under normal conditions, but can irritate the bladder during an infection, and make the symptoms of a UTI worse. When you have an infection, opt for milder food if you find the spicy foods make things worse for you.
Easy swap: Turmeric, coriander, fennel and garlic are all yummy spices that are less spicy and could be a good addition to meals without being too spicy!
5. Inflammatory food
Processed meats, fried food, trans fats, many ready-made meals, most takeaways and processed foods, and also anything containing refined sugar, have a pro-inflammatory effect on the body and can make a UTI worse. It is best to avoid these foods in general and only eat them in small doses, but, if possible, avoid them altogether when you have a UTI.
Easy swap: Focus on fresh veg, beans and lentils; bake or steam food rather than frying; cook simple homemade meals rather than ordering in takeaways.
6. Fruit juice
Fruit juice can also be problematic for a UTI. Many juices that come in cartons also contain added refined sugar, so always read the label. Many people think it is a good idea to drink cranberry juice when you have a UTI, and it certainly can be.
Cranberry can be a helpful food for UTIs and cranberry juice can help, as long as it doesn't contain added refined sugar. Learn more about cranberries' benefits in my blog "what foods are good to eat with a UTI".
Easy swap: Why not try Biotta Cranberry juice which doesn't contain any added refined sugar.
7. Alcohol, coffee and fizzy drinks
Alcohol has a double whammy effect of dehydrating you, which can prolong a UTI and make the symptoms more painful, whilst making your urine more acidic, and thus more painful! Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but so do coffee and fizzy drinks (soda)!
Giving both coffee and alcohol up altogether will help prevent recurrent UTIs, but even just avoiding them while you have an infection can help.
Easy swap: Try a sugar-free cranberry mocktail by simply adding some fizzy water to Biotta's cranberry juice, if you want a treat on a Friday night; and try a delicious coffee alternative like Bambu.
What can help a UTI to get better?
Reducing your refined sugar intake and avoiding the above foods while you have a UTI can help. Increasing your water intake is really important too.
The following herbal medicine might also be worth a try:
Uva ursi
Uva-ursi, or bearberry, is a traditional herbal remedy for treating UTIs. It's fast-acting and has an antibacterial effect directly in the urinary tract. Unlike antibiotics, it does not trigger thrush.
The antibiotic properties seem to be due to a compound called arbutin, but as it is a whole plant extract it has lots of other side benefits too, rather than side effects. It has astringent properties and contains allantoin, which helps to heal inflamed and irritated urinary passages.
It is recommended to take Uva-ursi for one week, and symptoms should improve after just 4 days of use. If symptoms do not improve, it is important to see your doctor, as a bladder infection can become a kidney infection, which can be quite serious.
Echinacea
Echinacea is a great antibacterial and anti-inflammatory herb, which is used to treat many infections. It is well-known as a remedy for colds and flu, but it is also effective in treating urinary tract infections. Its antibacterial properties help to fight the infection, and its anti-inflammatory and immune-supporting properties will help prevent a reoccurrence.
