Living with bladder cancer isn’t easy, but making thoughtful choices about what you eat may help you feel more empowered and supported on your journey. Whether you have muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MBIC) or non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), a healthy diet may help reduce treatment side effects and support your well-being.

There’s no single “bladder cancer diet” that works for everyone with bladder cancer. Your cancer stage, treatment plan, and other health conditions all play a role in deciding on a diet that might be right for you. Working with your oncologist (a doctor who specializes in treating cancer) and a dietitian, you may discover that some foods and drinks can help improve your symptoms and overall health while living with bladder cancer.

Although diet alone can’t prevent or cure bladder cancer, specific foods or eating plans may improve your health and help ensure your body gets the nutrients it needs. Bladder cancer treatments, like surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and immunotherapy, can make it harder for your body to handle and digest food. Although these foods may help people with bladder cancer, what matters most is how your body reacts to them and what your healthcare team recommends.

This article looks at how bladder cancer and diet may be connected. It shares simple, practical ideas about foods that might help you feel your best during treatment. If you want to support your immune system, calm ongoing inflammation, or stay better hydrated, here are four foods you can add to your meals.

1. Antioxidant-Rich Fruits and Vegetables

Colorful fruits and vegetables like berries, citrus fruits, broccoli, kale, and carrots are rich in antioxidants, which are health-promoting plant components (such as vitamin C, beta-carotene, and flavonoids). These nutrients help protect cells from damage and keep them healthy.

Antioxidants help protect your cells from damage and keep them healthy.

Cruciferous vegetables are a group of veggies that include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, and kale. They contain natural chemicals called isothiocyanates. These chemicals may help protect cells from damage.

Studies have found that people who eat more cruciferous vegetables may have a lower risk of bladder cancer. Researchers are also still studying how these vegetables might help people who already have bladder cancer.

According to The American Cancer Society, some research suggests that eating more fruits and vegetables can help protect against bladder cancer, but other studies have not found these results. These mixed results may reflect differences in individual health conditions and lifestyle factors. However, when it comes to health in general, including cancer prevention, eating fruits and vegetables can be important for overall well-being.

Chemotherapy affects your immune system and its ability to fight off infections. To decrease your chance of foodborne illness while undergoing chemotherapy, the American Cancer Society recommends that you:

• Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly under running water before peeling or slicing.
• Use a clean vegetable brush to scrub produce with thick, rough skins or rinds.
• Rinse individual leaves of leafy greens under running water.
• Even if labeled “prewashed,” rinse packaged salads, slaw mixes, and other prepared produce.
• Avoid eating raw vegetable sprouts, as they may carry harmful bacteria.
• Discard any fruits or vegetables that are slimy or show signs of mold.
• Skip purchasing precut produce, like melons, at the store.

2. High-Fiber Whole Grains

Foods like oatmeal, quinoa, brown rice, and whole-grain bread provide essential fiber, which can help ease the side effects of bladder cancer treatments. Fiber helps maintain healthy digestion and prevents constipation. These effects are important if you’re undergoing treatments or taking medications that affect your digestive health.

Fiber helps maintain healthy digestion and prevents constipation, which is important if you’re undergoing treatments that affect your digestive health.

If you’re having trouble with digestion, check with your healthcare provider and consider slowly adding fiber into your diet to not overwhelm your system. Whole grains can also help stabilize your energy levels, making it easier to cope with fatigue from bladder cancer treatments.

3. Lean Proteins

During cancer treatment, maintaining muscle mass and strength is key. Chemotherapy can decrease muscle strength and increase levels of fatigue. These lean proteins are easier to digest and give you protein to help you keep your muscles strong during treatment:

• Fish, such as salmon
• Chicken
• Eggs
• Tofu
• Beans
• Lentils

4. Hydrating Beverages

Staying hydrated is important for keeping your bladder and urinary tract healthy. Drinking enough fluids helps dilute urine, flush out waste, and minimize irritation to the bladder lining, which is particularly important during cancer treatment.

Drinking enough fluids helps dilute urine, flush out waste, and minimize irritation to the bladder lining, which is particularly important during cancer treatment.

Hydration recommendations vary depending on your environment and health, but a general guideline is to drink the equivalent of about half of your body weight in ounces every day. According to this rule, if you weigh 180 pounds, it’s good to aim for 90 fluid ounces of fluids per day.

To mix it up, or if water tastes unpleasant or unappealing during your cancer treatment, consider infusing your water with these ingredients for a hint of flavor:

• Fresh ginger
• Mint
• Cucumber
• Cinnamon
• Citrus slices
• Berries
• A small amount of fruit juice

If you’re struggling with diarrhea, sweating, vomiting, or fever, consider adding electrolytes to your drinks. Electrolytes are minerals like sodium and potassium that help your body hold on to water and keep your muscles and nerves working well.

Foods To Avoid During Bladder Cancer Treatment

In addition to focusing on specific foods for bladder health, you’ll want to limit some foods that may be harmful. One study found that a typical Western-style diet may raise the risk of bladder cancer coming back. This type of diet is high in fat, red and processed meats, and added sugar.

The American Cancer Society recommends limiting or avoiding the following for overall cancer prevention:

• Processed or smoked meats (bacon, sausage, deli meats)
• Sugar-sweetened beverages (soda and juice with added sugar, energy drinks, sweet tea)
• Alcohol (wine, beer, cocktails, and spirits) — Best avoided for cancer prevention because even small amounts can raise cancer risk

Certain foods and drinks can irritate the bladder and may make a sudden need to pee or bladder discomfort worse. Common triggers include drinks with caffeine, like coffee, tea, and energy drinks. Carbonated drinks, such as soda and sparkling water, can also be triggers. Acidic foods can also trigger symptoms, like citrus fruits, tomatoes, and foods made with tomatoes.

Talk to Your Doctor

Eating a balanced diet with plenty of nutrients can help your body during and after bladder cancer treatment. These tips are a good starting point, but it’s important to talk to your doctor and a dietitian for advice that fits your needs. By choosing healthy foods and avoiding options that might irritate your bladder, you can play an active role in your bladder cancer health and treatment.

Join the Conversation

On MyBladderCancerTeam, people share their experiences with bladder cancer, get advice, and find support from others who understand.

Do you have favorite foods or recipes for living with bladder cancer? How do you try to keep your bladder healthy? Let others know in the comments below.