Smoking
If you are a smoker, giving up is the best way to reduce your risk of developing bladder cancer.
The NHS Smoking Helpline can offer you advice and encouragement to help you quit smoking. You can call on 0800 022 4332, or visit the NHS Go Smokefree website.
Your GP or pharmacist will also be able to provide you with help and advice about giving up smoking.
Diet
There is some evidence to suggest that a diet that is high in fruit and vegetables and low in fat can help prevent bladder cancer.
Even if the evidence for the prevention of bladder cancer is limited, adopting such a diet is a good idea because it can help prevent other types of cancer, such as bowel cancer, as well as other serious health conditions, such as high blood pressure (hypertension), stroke and heart disease.
A low-fat, high-fibre diet is recommended, including plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables (five portions a day) and whole grains. Try to limit the amount of salt that you eat to no more than 6g (0.2oz) a day (one teaspoon) because too much salt will increase your blood pressure.
There are two types of fat – saturated and unsaturated. Try to avoid foods that contain saturated fats because they will increase your cholesterol levels.
Foods that are high in saturated fat include:
- meat pies
- sausages and fatty cuts of meat
- butter
- ghee (a type of butter often used in Indian cooking)
- lard
- cream
- hard cheese
- cakes and biscuits
- foods that contain coconut or palm oil
However, a balanced diet should include a small amount of unsaturated fat, which will actually help to reduce your cholesterol levels.
Foods that are high in unsaturated fat include:
- oily fish
- avocados
- nuts and seeds
- sunflower, rapeseed, olive and vegetable oils
Research carried out in Sweden in 2008 suggested that a diet that is high in low-fat yogurt may also help to reduce cholesterol levels.
