It’s likely.
We may already know that caffeine causes the urethra to spasm and makes us feel the urge to go, and that alcohol can have the same effect, but what about sugar substitutes?
This became my question one afternoon while at a social event. I was asked to bring some flavored water, which I did. Then, much out of character, I decided to also drink said water. This is out of character for me because I don’t touch artificial sweeteners. EVER. I only mention this because never using them gives me a clean slate to experience their side effects. Well for whatever reason, on this day, I decided to sample what I brought, chemicals be damned. I have to admit, the drink was tasty, and I appreciated that there were no calories.
What I did not appreciate was that I had to use the restroom 3 times within the short time I was there, and then again as soon I got home. When I went the third time, I began to question if it was the artificial sweetener in my water. So I went home and did some homework. After I peed.
Here’s the Skinny 😉
My web search turned up the fact that, yes, certain chemicals added to foods and beverages can irritate the bladder. And artificial sweeteners are among those chemicals.
Artificial sweeteners and sugar substitutes, including aspartame, acesulfame K and saccharin can potentially provoke bladder irritation symptoms such as frequency of urination and urgency, too. These sweeteners are found in a wide variety of places, such as diet beverages, reduced fat and low-calorie foods. Stevia (a natural sweetener) had mixed thoughts on whether it is an irritant.
Cutting Out the Chemicals
If you happen to have any urinary issues at all (frequency, urgency, burning, UTI’s, etc.) and ingest sugar substitutes, I encourage you to go off of them for a while and see if your symptoms improve.
A supple and strong pelvic floor goes a long way to improving incontinence issues, but if we feed ourselves chemicals that contribute to those issues, we may be fighting an uphill battle.
Curious as to what other food additives might be irritating your bladder? Give it a google. And as always, I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences.
