Are you on a fast-food track for incontinence?
Did you know that nearly half of women ages 50 and older experience urine leakage occasionally and 51% of those 65 and older say they contend with urinary incontinence? Now, you may think childbirth, menopause and muscle weakness are to blame, and you may be right. But a new observational study of more than 1,000 women ages 47 to 55 reveals that dietary choices play a big part in urination problems.
According to the researchers, frequently eating ready-made, highly processed and fast food ups the risk of stress-induced urinary incontinence and urgency incontinence by 50%. The reason these nutrition-stripped, additive-loaded edibles cause bladder woes is their ability to trigger chronic inflammation and cause oxidative stress (kind of like rusting from the inside out).
But it appears that a daily dose of fresh fruit is a powerful antidote -- as are other foods that have antioxidant powers, such as dark chocolate, artichokes, dark leafy kale and spinach, and beets. Psst! If you're eating those greens (and other veggies), steam 'em. One study found that a 5-minute boil can destroy up to 54% of antioxidant vitamin C in veggies; steaming only KOs up to 14%.
Other self-help approaches can dry up your drip, too. According to Mayo Clinic, they include doing Kegel exercises daily and making sure you're not dehydrated (that can concentrate irritant chemicals in the bladder) or overwatered, which can overwhelm your bladder. It's also smart to avoid spicy foods, tomato-based products, and carbonated drinks.
For more great bladder-loving food ideas, check out the "What to Eat When Cookbook."
Dr. Mike Roizen is the founder of www.longevityplaybook.com, and Dr. Mehmet Oz is global advisor to www.iHerb.com, the world's leading online health store. Roizen and Oz are chief wellness officer emeritus at Cleveland Clinic and professor emeritus at Columbia University, respectively. Together they have written 11 New York Times bestsellers (four No. 1's).
(c)2025 Michael Roizen, M.D.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
(c) 2025 Michael Roizen, M.D. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
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