Diet Overview
* The impact of diet on the pain and symptoms of IC cannot be overstated. Something as simple as eating a banana or an orange can cause immediate and often intense pain. Since the protective bladder lining (GAG) is compromised, normally innocuous foods and food substances enter the underlying tissue triggering nerve endings and mast cells. Pain, inflammation and tissue damage are the results.
* During initial treatment time, usually 6 months, strictly adhering to the IC diet can allow symptoms to subside, pain to decrease and healing to begin. Many people with IC notice a dramatic and immediate reduction in symptoms with only dietary modifications.
* There are many pain causing food substances that are either limited or excluded entirely in the IC diet. They include large amounts of specific amino acids, certain vitamins, food preservatives, alcohol, food acids, fresh yeast, mold, MSG, processed and fermented foods and large amounts of saturated fats.
* An important factor that varies with the individual is the specific foods that cause allergic reactions. An allergy test is helpful to identify foods that ultimately cause pain and inflammation; allergic reactions are not always immediately noticeable and therefore hard to detect without testing.
* The organic acid, oxalate, is another pain causing factor. Many individuals do not excrete oxalate efficiently causing irritation, pain and even contributing to an accompanying disorder, Vulvodynia. Adding calcium citrate to a supplement regime will reduce the impact of oxalates and allow the addition of many foods.
* Foods that can be tolerated vary from individual to individual, and even at different times for the same individual. There are many factors that influence the amount and quantity of foods that can be tolerated. One major factor is the natural replenishment of the GAG layer with appropriate nutrients such as aloe vera, chondroitin sulfate, glucosamine sulfate and MSM.
* Including as many foods as possible in the diet provides valuable nutrients for healing and health improvement. The trial and error process that identifies foods to include is troublesome, but well worth the effort. Many people with IC have a wide and varied diet, especially after they have successfully created a natural remedy regime for their IC and underlying health issues.