What foods or drinks can affect an UTI?

Ask: I'M prone to urinary tract infections and I'm wondering if certain foods or drinks can make an infection better or worse, please advise.

Anwser: There is plenty you can do diet-wise to help relieve and ward off urinary tract infections. First off, I'd recommend that you limit your intake of foods which can aggravate urinary tract infections, particularly if you have an infection or feel one coming on. These include: alcohol, coffee, sugar, tomatoes, citrus fruits, soft drinks, vinegar and yeast.

Begin each day with a glass of warm water with the juice of one small lemon squeezed into it. Lemon juice changes the PH of the blood and urinary tract so that the opportunistic bacteria are less able to proliferate. Urinary tract infections thrive on a damp and acidic environment. Lemons (unlike other citrus fruits) have an alkalising effect on the body.

I'd also recommend that you drink at least two litres of filtered water daily to encourage frequent urination and flushing of the urinary tract. Cranberry juice helps to reduce bacteria in the urine and has been shown to inhibit the adherence of bacteria to the wall of the urinary tract. However, it must be 100pc pure cranberry juice with no added sugar to be of real benefit. You could also consider taking a cranberry extract supplement with vitamin C as a defence measure.