How Raw Onions Impact Your Bladder

Overactive bladder (OAB) is a condition that causes frequent and sudden urges to urinate. According to the Mayo Clinic, these urges can sometimes be difficult to control. As a result, people with OAB may experience incontinence and feel the need to pee several times throughout the day and night. In some cases, people may even wake up more than two times a night to urinate. Fortunately, OAB can be treated and managed with a few helpful lifestyle changes.

As a matter of fact, people with OAB can often find relief and help manage their symptoms by making changes to their everyday diet (via Everyday Health). As it turns out, food can have a significant impact on your bladder and digestive system. "We forget that some of the things we eat are causing our problems," urologist Dr. Jean Fourcroy told Everyday Health. That's because certain foods and beverages can cause irritation and spasms when they collect in the bladder, which can create a sudden urge to pee.

While everyone is different, there are certain foods that tend to irritate the bladder more than others. These foods are often spicy and acidic, but this is not always the case. In fact, one type of food that can irritate your bladder and cause incontinence is raw onion (via Healthline). While all onions can potentially cause bladder problems, raw onions are particularly potent when it comes to irritating the bladder. As a result, it might be helpful to cook onions before you eat them if you have OAB or other bladder problems.

If you're not sure what your trigger foods are, you can start a food diary to help you keep track of what you eat and how it affects you. This can help you identify what foods worsen your OAB symptoms so you can steer clear of them in the future. It can also give you a good idea of what foods you can eat without worsening your symptoms.