Did you know that nearly half of women ages 50 and older experience urine leakage occasionally and 51% of those 65 and older say they contend with urinary incontinence?

You might think that childbirth, menopause, and muscle weakness are to blame — and you may be right. But a new observational study of more than 1,000 women ages 47 to 55 reveals that dietary choices play a big part in urination problems.

According to the researchers, frequently eating ready-made, highly processed, and fast food increases the risk of stress-induced urinary incontinence and urgency incontinence by 50%.

The reason these nutrient-stripped, additive-loaded edibles cause bladder woes is their ability to trigger chronic inflammation and cause oxidative stress (kind of like rusting from the inside out).

But it appears that a daily dose of fresh fruit is a powerful antidote — as are other foods that have antioxidant powers, including dark chocolate, artichokes, dark leafy kale and spinach, and beets.

And if you're eating those greens (as well as other veggies), you should steam them. One study found that a 5-minute boil can destroy up to 54% of antioxidant vitamin C in vegetables; steaming only knocks out up to 14%.

In addition, according to Mayo Clinic doing Kegel exercises daily and making sure you're not dehydrated (that can concentrate irritant chemicals in the bladder) or overwatered (which can overwhelm your bladder) will decrease the risk of incontinence.

It's also smart to avoid spicy foods, tomato-based products, and carbonated drinks.

For more great bladder-loving food ideas, check out the "What to Eat When Cookbook."