Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in American men, and as of 2010, more than 32,000 American men died each year with prostate cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. Prevention is your best defense against being afflicted with this cancer. If you already have prostate cancer, your age, body weight and fitness level have a much greater impact than surgical or radiation treatment, according to the Prostate Cancer Research Institute.
Low-Fat, Lactose-Free Diet
The Urology Department at the UCLA School of Medicine recommends eating a diet that is low fat, high fiber, and with varied fruits and vegetables to reduce the risk of prostate cancer, or its effects, if you already have prostate cancer. The Prostate Cancer Research Institute states you must avoid animal protein foods such as meat and milk, because they increase the insulin-like growth that is attributed to prostate cancer. If you are already overweight or obese, reduce your caloric intake to assist in losing weight, as those who are at their ideal weight have less prostate cancer risk. The U.S. Library of Medicine report that diets low in dairy protein and calcium can decrease your chance of getting prostate cancer. Instead of dairy, consume organic soy-based milk and cheeses and other dairy alternatives. The American Cancer Society explains that lycopene, along with soy supplements, were helpful in preventing existing prostate-specific antigens from increasing in men with prostate cancer.
Lycopene-Rich Foods
You can eat foods with a high content of lycopene to decrease your chances of prostate cancer according to the Urology Department at UCLA. Increasing your antioxidant levels generally strengthen your immune system to protect you from cancer, but lycopene specifically helps with protecting the prostate. Lycopene is known to inhibit mutated cells, which are hazardous to your healthy cells and can lead to cancer. Eat foods high in lycopene such as tomatoes, watermelon, guava, papaya, apricots and grapefruit. The American Cancer Society states that lycopene supplements are less effective, because it may not only be lycopene that decreases your risk of prostate cancer; may also be the vitamins, potassium and other antioxidants and carotenoids that lycopene-containing fruits provide.
Sulforaphane-Rich Foods
Broccoli, which is rich in sulforaphane, has been discovered to reduce prostate cancer risk by 50 percent, as reported by the Prostate Cancer Research Institute. According to the American Association for Cancer Research, broccoli sprouts have an especially high amount of sulforaphane. For example, consuming 70g of broccoli sprouts daily is equivalent to eating two or three servings of fully grown broccoli. Sulphoraphane is not the active ingredient, but it activates the enzyme glutathione transferase that is lower in prostate cancer cells.
Vitamins and Minerals
The Prostate Cancer Research Institute highly recommends taking the following supplements for a 20 to 80 percent reduction in your risk for prostate cancer: Vitamin D, 2,000 u daily; fish oil, 1,000mg two times per day; lycopene, 15mg to 30mg daily; and pomegranate extract. The institute warns against consuming copper, iron, zinc, multivitamins and vitamin E.
Regular Exercise
If you sit at a desk for most of your day, consistent exercise can help to tone muscles that suffer from a sedentary lifestyle. According to UCLA, inactivity can contribute to prostate cancer. You can prevent prostate cancer by maintaining a healthy weight. If you are overweight, perform regular, moderate aerobic exercise. Kegel exercises involve clenching your muscles that stop the flow of urine. If you already have prostate cancer, doing kegel exercises before prostate surgery can improve your recovery time to regain control your bladder, as documented by the U.S. Library of Medicine.
References
- American Cancer Society: What Are the Key Statistics About Prostate Cancer?
- Prostate Cancer Research Institute: Diet, Vitamins and Exercise for Prostate Cancer
- Urology Department at the UCLA School of Medicine: Prostate Cancer Overview
- U.S. Library of Medicine: Diet and Cancer Prevention
- American Cancer Society: Lycopene
