Does Tart Cherry Juice Irritate the Bladder?

Irritable bladder syndrome is a general term referring to any condition that causes an increased and sudden urge to urinate, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. The problem is more prevalent among women and several causes may be behind an irritated bladder. For some people, certain foods may exacerbate symptoms of irritable bladder syndrome, which may include tart cherry juice.

Irritable Bladder Syndrome

Irritable bladder syndrome is linked to many health issues including urinary tract infections, pregnancy, bladder stones, nerve damage or a tumor. Regardless of cause, some foods and drinks exacerbate the condition, though they might not be the same for each person with irritable bladder syndrome. If your symptoms flare after drinking tart cherry juice, eliminating it from your diet may provide relief.

Food Journal

What Foods and Drinks Should You Avoid While Having a Bladder Infection?

Learn More

Determining the cause of irritable bladder symptoms may be difficult for some people as they might experience them with many foods or drinks. To help eliminate trigger foods, a food journal is a valuable tool. Record what you eat or drink, the amount you consumed and any irritable bladder syndrome symptoms experienced in the following hours. This written log helps you detect a pattern in trigger foods and allows your doctor to make a firm diagnosis and design an appropriate treatment plan. Tart cherry juice may not trigger irritable bladder symptoms in everyone with the condition, but it could be exacerbating yours, something a food journal helps figure out.

Eliminating Tart Cherry Juice

Tart cherry juice most often appears in concentrated juice form, making it simple to avoid it as a beverage. However, it is touted as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, and may appear in other items as well. In the 1980s, several meat manufacturers experimented with adding cherry pulp to their products and found that it helped preserve the meat, according to "Natural Medicine Journal." Tart cherry juice may appear in commercially prepared cherry desserts as well. Read the labels on an item that contains cherries to ensure that they aren't the tart variety. If tart cherries irritate your bladder, this reduces the risk of suffering from a flare-up of symptoms.

Considerations

Gluten Sensitivity & an Overactive Bladder

Learn More

Tart cherries are sold in many supermarkets in dried form, similar to a raisin. If tart cherry juice bothers your irritable bladder, these might as well 2. They may appear in desserts, cereals and granola in place of dried cranberries or raisins. You might be able to tolerate small amounts of tart cherry juice, which allows you to benefit from its nutritional content without aggravating your irritable bladder symptoms.