A diagnosis of IC/BPS doesn’t change the love that many patients have for spicy foods. Yet, study after study has shown that hot, spicy foods can cause flares and discomfort for patients with IC, prostatitis and other urinary disorders leading to blanket warnings about avoiding all spicy foods. Yet, that isn’t true for all patients.

Of course, patients with Hunner’s lesions are the most diet sensitive due to the open wounds and severe inflammation in their bladders. They should probably avoid all but the mildest peppers. They may even struggle with simple bell peppers. But, patients with pelvic floor dysfunction might be able to enjoy some mild heat.

Mild vs. Hot Peppers

IC patient CC recently suggested that we add some of the milder peppers to our IC Diet Guide in the “try it” section. She’s right. There are several very mild peppers that some patients might be able to enjoy. How can you tell if a pepper is hot or mild? It’s all about their Scoville Rating which measures the spiciness or “heat” of peppers and other substances.

The hottest pepper on record is Pepper X, a scorching pepper featured in many hot pepper challenges that leaves people guzzling milk, gasping for breath and, in some cases, even trips of the Emergency Room. Yes, it’s even hotter than the Carolina Reaper and holds the current world record for heat. Can you imagine what that could do to someone with a sensitive bladder? Yikes!  That said, there are several milder peppers that some IC’ers might be able to get away with in small quantities.

Start Here

CC  said “I’ve found that at least for me, personally, I can go up to poblano/ancho as the highest if I use it in small amounts and I’m not in a flare. There are peppers even lower on the scale, such as  sweet banana peppers (500 Scoville units), pepperoncini (100-500 Scoville units), pimientos (100-500 Scoville) and shishito (50-200 Scoville units).”   

We suggest starting with the mildest peppers, the crispy red, green or yellow bell peppers (0 Scoville units) and then try very small amounts as you try some of the more milder peppers.  Can you go higher? CC suggested trying peppers 0-500 on the Scoville scale and if one does well with that, to try up to a maximum of 1000 Scoville units (in small amounts).  We agree but we also encourage you to be very cautious when trying hotter foods. As the bladder heals, you may be able tolerate more but, that said, is that spicy challenge worth a severe bladder flare?? I don’t think it is.