Diet Tips: The Acidic and the Alkaline Foods

There has always been a very direct link between IC (also known as Interstitial Cystitis) and diet.

Interstitial Cystitis is a hardening of the bladder and the eroding of the bladder lining wall.

What you eat has a direct result on how bad you’ll feel and how long your flares (or increased symptomatic days) will be. There are some foods that are more acidic than others, these should be decreased in the diet, while some foods are more alkaline and can decrease the acid in your urine. Knowing what foods are what will help you have more good days and less flare days.

Some patients will want to buy pH strips and test their urine to see how acidic it is. Others can just try to drink enough water to keep their urine as close to clear as it can be, this will cut down on the uric acid concentration in your output. Either method will be fine, doing BOTH will help you out more than you’ll realize.
Some Acidic Foods

Colas, other carbonated beverages

Alcoholic drinks

Coffee and other caffeinated beverages

Sweetened yogurt

Sweeteners

Table salt

Soy sauce

Meat and Fish

Rice

Oats, Rye, Wheat, Wheat germ, Bran, Cornmeal

Popcorn

Pastas

Breads and other grain products, crackers, pastries

Pinto, Navy, Garbanzo, red, white, black beans

Cheese

Sunflower and Pumpkin seeds

Walnuts, pecans, cashews, dried coconut, pistachios, filberts, brazil nuts, peanuts, macadamia nuts

Mustard, Ketchup, Mayonnaise, White vinegar

Nutmeg

Some Alkaline Foods

Almonds, pignoli, fresh coconut, chestnuts

Alfalfa sprouts, radish sprouts, chia sprouts

Unsprouted sesame

Unsalted butter

Milk, cream, goat’s milk

Eggs

Vegetables (except peppers and beets)

Fruits (except for blueberries, plums, prunes, and cranberries)

String, soy, lima, green, and snap beans

Peas

Potatoes

Arrowroot Flour

Flax, millet, quinoa, and amaranth

Most herbal teas

Garlic, cayenne, gelatin, most herbs, most spices, vanilla extract

Miso

Most vegetable and unprocessed sea salt

Brewer’s yeast

Unprocessed cold-pressed oils

Whey

Plain yogurt

Raw unpasterized honey, dried sugar cane juice, brown rice syrup

Fruit juices, vegetable juices