For people with incontinence, dietary choices may have a significant impact. According to the AGS Foundation for Health in Aging, certain foods and drinks may irritate the bladder, causing incontinence or more frequent urination in the millions of people experiencing the condition.
Joan Ikeda is one person hoping to make a difference in the lives of those experiencing bladder leaks, ensuring they maintain a healthy diet. Ikeda serves beverages to residents at the Gibson Creek Retirement and Assisted Living Community in Salem, Oregon, using her role to help improve residents' daily diets, and ultimately their overall health and well-being.
Ikeda makes it a priority to serve salads and vegetables alongside entrees. "We try to keep it nutritious," Ikeda says. "We have a registered dietitian who prepares the menu."
Reaching Out
Dr. Scott Segal, an internal medicine physician based in Atlanta, Georgia, advises those with incontinence to follow healthy diets and avoid foods or drinks that may irritate their bladders, such as caffeine, alcohol, carbonated drinks and spicy foods.
"Sometimes even citrus fruits or juices can be a problem as well," Dr. Segal says. "Weight loss may help certain patients, and patients with diabetes will help themselves by keeping their blood glucose under control."
The AGS Foundation agrees, saying milk, citrus juice and fruits, tomato-based products, spicy dishes, sweeteners (including sugar, honey and corn syrup) and caffeinated beverages such as coffee, tea and soft drinks are all potential bladder irritants. The non-profit health organization also cautions against alcohol in hard liquor, beer and wine.
Encouraging a Healthy Diet
Convincing a loved one or recipient of care to make healthy diet decisions by avoiding bladder irritants isn’t such a simple task. Ikeda, who sees the roadblocks every day at work, knows this firsthand.
Ikeda suggests caregivers follow the lead of Gibson Creek's cook, Stuart, who makes meals that are nutritious and delicious, so residents don't even realize what they’re "missing."
Another key to reducing bladder leaks is maintaining proper weight. According to the AGS Foundation, “Excess weight puts strain on the pelvic floor muscles that support the bladder and urethra. Weight loss may reduce the severity of incontinence or even cure it. A sound weight loss program is an important component of a bladder program.”
Many retirement and assisted living communities such as Gibson Creek, as well as local community centers and exercise facilities nationwide, provide weight loss programs that extend beyond fad diets and trendy classes. "We offer a variety of exercise programs for our residents," Ikeda says. "Our purpose is to help them live as normal a life as they can."
And helping their loved ones live a normal — and healthy — life is something every caregiver can strive for.
Recipe: Healthy Rice Cake Snacks
Here’s a snack you can prepare that’s both tasty and nutritious. Plus, it doesn’t contain any bladder-irritating foods.
Ingredients:
Large rice cakes, plain or slightly sweet
Peanut butter
Raisins
Bananas
Directions:
Spread peanut butter on the rice cake. Then add sliced banana, sprinkle with raisins and enjoy!
Foods to Avoid
According to the AGS Foundation for Health in Aging, people with incontinence should avoid the following foods, which may trigger bladder irritation:
- Milk
- Citrus juice and fruits (orange, grapefruit, lemon, lime, tangerine)
- Tomato-based products
- Spicy foods
- Sweeteners including sugar, honey and corn syrup
- Caffeinated coffee, tea and soft drinks
- Alcoholic drinks including hard liquor, beer and wine
