Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers among men in the United States, with over 200,000 patients diagnosed with the disease a year. Although there is no way to completely prevent prostate cancer, there are many ways that a patient can reduce his or her risk of developing the disease, most importantly through a change in diet.
The following foods, drinks, and methods have been shown to reduce a patient’s risk of prostate cancer. Though by no means foolproof, changing your dietary habits and nutrition intake can have a positive effect on not just your body, but your mind and confidence as well!
Fight Prostate Cancer With These Steps
Eat tomatoes
Tomatoes (as well as other red fruits like watermelon) contain an antioxidant called lycopene, a substance which may lower a patient’s risk for prostate cancer. Studies have shown that men who consume tomatoes or tomato-based products (such as ketchup or tomato sauce) have a lower risk of prostate cancer than men who don’t eat such foods.
Lycopene is also responsible for a tomato’s red color, which means that the redder a tomato is, the more lycopene it contains. When shopping at a grocery store, try to avoid non-ripened, pale tomatoes, as they are potentially less healthy than bright red ones.
Eat fish
Fatty acids (like omega-3) can help reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer, and fish are rich in this substance, particularly tuna, trout, and salmon. In fact, research has shown that a low-fat diet supplemented with fish oil can slow the growth of prostate cancer when compared to a diet high in fats. So the next time you’re out at a restaurant, try the fish instead of the steak.
Drink green tea
Green tea, a staple of the Asian diet, has been consumed for thousands of years, but its effects on prostate cancer are just now being studied. Green tea contains components like catechin, EGCG, and epicatechin, and evidence has suggested that these compounds can prevent prostate cancer from occurring.
Drink pomegranate juice
Similar to green tea, pomegranate juice is a great source of antioxidants. Antioxidants are healthy compounds that can help prevent diseases related to oxidative stress. Even if you’ve already been diagnosed with prostate cancer, drinking pomegranate juice may help delay the rise in PSA levels, keeping the cancer at a stable state and in-check, allowing for better and more exact treatment.
Stop smoking
A no brainer, right? Smoking can increase the likelihood of prostate cancer recurrence. However, if patients quit smoking for over ten years, their mortality risk is the same as those who never smoked in the first place! It may be hard to quit, but the chances of avoiding prostate cancer improve tremendously once you stop.
Contact Comprehensive Urology for Prostate Cancer Screening
With proper diagnosis and care, prostate cancer is more treatable than ever before. In addition to eating and living healthier, patients should schedule a prostate cancer screening once they reach the age of 50. With proper precaution and a healthy diet, patients can drastically reduce their chance of developing the disease! Contact Comprehensive Urology at (310) 499-2756 to learn about more ways to treat and deal with prostate cancer.
Next, read how Studies Show How Smoking Increases Risks for Bladder Cancer.