Nutrition Month

Friday, December 10, 2010

Supplements for Interstitial Cystitis.

Interstitial cystitis (IC) is a chronic bladder condition that can cause pain and other symptoms. People with IC have an inflamed or irritated bladder wall. This inflammation can lead to:

*Scarring and stiffening of the bladder
*Less bladder capacity (the bladder is able to hold less urine)
*Pinpoint bleeding in the bladder lining. In rare cases, ulcers form in the bladder lining

Of the more than 700,000 Americans estimated to have Interstitial Cystitis, about 90 percent are women. Severe cases of IC can be very disabling.

Some scientists suspect IC is a result of environmental allergies, food sensitivities, an autoimmune response or they associate it with other chronic illnesses like fibromyalgia.

Most women with IC find some correlation between their symptoms and certain foods. This is highly individual, but the most problematic foods seem to be: avocados, bananas, cranberries, peaches, strawberries, tomatoes, tofu, fava beans, lima beans, nuts, vinegar, yogurt, sharp cheeses, some herbal teas, white flour products, and brewer's yeast. Stimulants such as coffee, black tea, green tea, alcohol, tobacco, chocolate, and dyes and binders in most supplements aggravate symptoms, as do food preservatives, food dyes, carbonated sodas and waters, aspartame, and saccharine too.

Some supplements can be irritating to the bladder. I have compiled a list of nutraceuticals that may improve your condition and also have other health benefits. Choose only one and work with it for at least a month in case one does not agree with you.

The fat soluble vitamins (A, D E, and K) often do not pose problems for IC patients. Minerals, such as calcium and magnesium, are also usually well-tolerated by most IC patients.

Garlic is a natural antibiotic that inhibits bacterial growth in the bladder and stimulates the immune system.

Echinacea and Goldenseal
Good for inflammation, infections,colds and flu. Improves lymphatic function, and reduces glandular swelling. Helps to protect the immune system. Is an anti-tumor, anti-fungal,anti-viral and antibacterial agent.
Helps urinary tract infections, strep throat, bronchitis, etc.

Acidophilus
Yeast overgrowth can occur not only in the intestine, but also in the bladder, the sinuses and other parts of the body. Yeast infections in the bladder can be quite painful and feel like IC. Acidophilus can help keep healthy bacteria in the urinary tract by reintroducing "friendly" flora to the environment reducing the recurrence rate of lower urinary tract infections.

Glucosamine and chondroitin Sulfate
Flushing the bladder with chondroitin supplements could benefit people with the bladder condition interstitial cystitis. Scientific evidence also points to the effectiveness of taking chondroitin supplements by mouth to relieve symptoms of overactive bladder, such as frequent urination, suddenly needing to urinate and nighttime urination, reports the University of Maryland Medical Center.

The EPA and DHA in fish oil has been shown in numerous studies to act as a highly effective anti-inflammatory, which can dramatically decrease the painful swelling in the bladder and pelvic area and work as a natural cure for interstitial cystitis symptoms. Essential fatty acids are very important because they suppress the cytokines in the body that produce inflammation, especially interleuken-6 (IL-6).

People with chronically inflamed bladders are considered to be very acidic. Acidic bodies are toxic bodies, and excess acidity also causes symptoms of pain. When you start to alkalize your body, either by eating an alkaline diet (which most people with interstitial bladder symptoms patients find the food choices limiting) or by taking alkalizing supplements, your body starts to come back into balance and your symptoms slowly but surely begin to improve.

Quercetin is a bioflavonoid that may have anti-inflammatory attributes. A little double-blind placebo-controlled trial found that a supplement containing quercetin reduced symptoms of interstitial cystitis. Bromelain provides anti-inflammatory action. This works great combined with Quercetin.

Ester C might be tolerated by some people with IC

If you need B vitamins, which may cause pain when processed by the bladder, consider taking them by injection. Lipovite has B complex, vitamin C and amino acids in combination.