"Is Sugar Irritating My Bladder and Causing Leaks?"

A member of our Jude and Friends community asked "Has anyone has identified sugar as an irritant? For example if you eat sweets, chocolate, cake, biscuits etc does it affect your bladder?"

It's a great question - and one likely many of us have pondered since experiencing leaks and realising that so often they are linked to what we eat and drink. But is there and link, and how do we know if sugar is a particular irritant for our bladder? Let's dive into it:

Is there a link between sugar and leaks?

Yes: the link between sugar and bladder issues is well-established. Sugar - refined and naturally occurring (and artificial sweeteners, but we'll come to those later) can cause the bladder to overstimulate, leading to sudden urges and potential leaks.

This effect is not limited to incontinence but can also contribute to various bladder problems. If you have insulin resistance or diabetes, you'll have particularly noticed that there is a link in symptoms with your bladder urgency - that's because high blood glucose levels can lead to nerve damage in the urinary tract, causing bladder issues.

Often the sugary food or drink that we consume contains other irritants too; such as caffeine, aspartame, or citrus and together, it's a perfect storm for our poor bladder!

How Sugar Affects the Bladder

Sugar can affect the bladder in several ways. For most of us, we find that sugar acts as a stimulant, causing sudden urges and potentially leading to leaks.

But it can have a greater impact and if you are experiencing sugar-related incontinence, it's worth getting checked out by your GP. That's because there is a link between sugar intake, insulin and diabetes that can affect the bladder, causing nerve damage in the urinary tract, resulting in overactive bladder (OAB).

Lastly, your sweet tooth might also be the reason you are getting recurrent UTIs! Excess glucose in the urine is the perfect environment for bacteria to proliferate - so if you are finding UTIs keep coming back, reducing your sugar intake is a good start to get ahead of infections.

Foods and Drinks High in Sugar

So, you might be wondering whether it's a case of avoiding a spoonful of sugar... or is the risk a little harder to spot in some foods?

Unfortunately, sugar is prevalent in so many processed foods (and of course, naturally occurring too), so being aware of your overall consumption can help to manage leaks and incontinence triggered by the sweet stuff. These include:

· Refined sugars found in sweets, pastries, and sugary drinks.

· Natural sugars such as honey, maple syrup, and fruit juices.

· Artificial sweeteners, which can also irritate the bladder

How will I know if sugar is a trigger for my bladder?

Knowing what to look for is important, because it gives us the chance to feel more in control of our bladder (and let's face it, when we leak that's the last thing we feel!). If your symptoms are associated with sugar, you'll likely find that you have sudden urges, increased frequency of urination, urgency, incontinence, and perhaps have experienced bladder infections too. an increased risk of bladder infections.

Tracking what you are eating and drinking can help you to understand triggers like sugar and how they impact on your bladder. Journal your intake for a month, and if you are concerned you'll be able to use your food journal to kickstart a conversation with your GP and produce evidence of any suspected link you might have found.