Cause & Effect: Candida, Alkaline Foods, & the IC Connection

Through my experience, research, and interaction with others, I've come across two possible theories as to what causes Interstitial Cystitis. Both are diet related.

*Please keep in mind that I believe there are multiple different causes for IC and it may be a combination of a lot of different things. What caused IC in one person may be completely different than someone else. I think these are the possible causes for my IC, but there could be more, and these don't necessarily apply to you. I just wanted to share them because I found them interesting and helpful. Also, keep in mind IC is sort of an umbrella term for a lot of different symptoms and could possibly be misdiagnosed.

I like to theorize what causes IC because it gets you thinking of ways to heal it. Once you find the source of the IC, you can stop it from happening, and finally heal.

1. The Yeast Connection

Yeasts are single cell fungi living organisms that live on the surfaces of all living things, including fruits, vegetables, grains, and your body. They're a part of the "microflora" which contribute in various ways to the health of their host. Yeast itself is nutritious and small amounts of yeast give bread its light taste.

One family of yeasts, Candida albicans, normally lives on the warm inner creases of the digestive tract, vagina and skin. Healthy women have a natural community of Candida albicans organisms in all three locations. When your immune system is healthy, "friendly" intestinal bacteria like Bifidobacteria bifidum and Lactobaccillus acidophilus create a symbiotic system with the yeast that keeps everything in balance.

But when this system gets out of balance – through use of antibiotics, birth control pills or improper diet (too much sugar, yeast, acidic foods) – candida cells develop rapidly, overwhelm the friendly bacteria, and create potentially serious results. Imbalance of intestinal flora can cause vaginitis, irritable bowel syndrome, food allergies, migraines, asthma, PMS, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and interstitial cystitis.

Please check out the website for more information to see if an overgrowth of candida could be causing your chronic health problems. There is even a yeast fighting program provided free of charge.

2. The Acid-Alkaline Diet

There are two general types of food - acid and alkaline. If you eat too many acidic foods and not enough alkaline foods, your body can become overly acidic. Chronic acidosis in the body leads to chronic health problems. There are many benefits to eating an alkaline diet. Over-acidity in the body can result in chronic health issues, while an alkaline diet can help to prevent these same problems. Some of the symptoms of an over-acid diet include fatigue, gum and teeth problems, a tendency towards getting sick frequently, pain and inflammation, and premature aging. Pain and inflammation sounds a lot like IC symptoms!

So the key to healing IC in this case is to reverse acidosis by eating lots of alkaline foods and avoiding acidic foods. Generally, animal foods – meat, eggs, dairy – processed and refined foods, yeast products, fermented foods, grains, artificial-sweeteners, fruit, and sugars are acidifying, as are alcohol, coffee, chocolate, black tea, and sodas.

Vegetables, on the other hand, are alkalizing. That includes a few that are technically fruits: avocado, tomato, and bell peppers. A few non sweet citrus fruits are also basic in the body, as are sprouted seeds, nuts, and grains. Grains are acidifying, though a few (millet, buckwheat, and spelt) are only very mildly so. Raw foods are more alkalizing, while cooked food is more acidifying.

Food charts like this one are helpful in determining what to eat, but note that there are a lot of different websites with this information and it may vary slightly.

Sources:

Alkaline Diet Benefits

How's your pH? Acid or Alkaline?

Alkaline vs Acidic


After using a combination of the yeast fighting program, exercise (yoga), and an alkaline, plant-based diet, I experienced such extreme symptom relief I feel like I no longer have IC (or any of my other countless health issues, for that matter). Therefore, I think these two things very much contributed to my IC problems. When you know the cause, you can combat the problem. So I urge you to find the cause of your IC. Is it one of these two reasons? Both? What else could be causing it? Get to the root of the issue and then you will find healing.