The bladder is an essential part of our body’s urinary system, regulating the storage and release of urine. Just as diet influences chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes, it also plays a key role in maintaining bladder health.
Taking certain vitamins and supplements is also known to help maintain urinary health. For example, vitamin D deficiency is often seen as the number one vitamin deficiency that causes bladder problems, with some experts also pointing to vitamin B1 as a major culprit.
“Eliminating sugary drinks, drinks with high caffeine content, and other bladder irritants can significantly improve your urinary tract and reduce infections and symptoms of overactive bladder,” explains Samuel Mathis, MD, MBA, a board-certified family physician and assistant professor of family medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch. Other common bladder irritants include:
- Artificial sweeteners
- alcohol
- Spicy food
- Acidic foods such as citrus fruits and tomatoes.
Recent medical advances are having a profound impact on bladder health. In particular, the introduction of ANKTIVA, a breakthrough therapy that received FDA approval in April 2024, has revolutionized the treatment of bladder cancer. Karim Shamy, MD, Associate Professor of Urology at the University of California, Los Angeles, describes ANKTIVA as “first-in-class,” indicating that it introduces a new category of treatment. When used in combination with standard Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) treatment for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), ANKTIVA has demonstrated a high success rate in eliminating cancer, surpassing BCG alone. Trials are currently underway to determine its effectiveness against advanced pancreatic and breast cancer. Dr. Shamy emphasized the importance of ANKTIVA, saying, “These patients will benefit greatly from ANKTIVA’s treatment.” [for whom BCG alone was not effective] In many cases, there is no other option. This allows us to avoid repeated treatments and, most importantly, surgical removal of the bladder.”
Given these breakthroughs, it’s clear that the bladder is essential to overall health, and there are practical steps you can take right now for your bladder health, including adding certain vitamins and supplements that have been proven to benefit your bladder.
Below, medical experts share the best supplements for maintaining bladder health.
Best Supplements for Bladder Health, According to Experts
1. Vitamin D
A meta-analysis conducted by Chinese urology researchers in January 2024 and published in a peer-reviewed journal Nutrition Review Vitamin D deficiency is associated with an increased risk of overactive bladder and urinary incontinence, suggesting that vitamin D supplements may be a potential treatment.
However, the effectiveness of such supplements remains controversial. A 2022 study showed that vitamin D generally did not improve symptoms more than a placebo. Interestingly, the study found that men with low vitamin D levels who took supplements experienced reduced symptoms of overactive bladder, but were at increased risk of urinary incontinence.
Dr. Allen Markland, associate professor of medicine in the department of gerontology, geriatrics and palliative care at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, offered a cautious interpretation of these results, saying: “This is a very large study, and it is unlikely that vitamin D is the only factor contributing to the improvement of urinary incontinence and overactive bladder, but there may be subgroups of men who may potentially respond. This suggests that vitamin D supplements may be beneficial for certain individuals, but not everyone.”
