The prostate is responsible for producing semen and helping transport sperm out of the body. Maintaining a well-balanced, healthy diet is important to prevent poor prostate health, including prostate cancer. Symptoms of prostate cancer can be experienced as difficulty urinating, pain in the hip and back, blood in the urine and a decreased force of urination. Consuming foods rich in certain vitamins and minerals may aid in the prevention, relief and treatment of prostate cancer and its symptoms. Always consult a doctor before adding any nutritional remedies to your daily diet, and never replace other forms of treatment with nutritional remedies.
Foods Rich In Antioxidants
Consuming antioxidant-rich foods may help in the prevention and treatment of prostate cancer. Antioxidants are substances in your body that protect you from free radical damage. Free radicals are bacterial and viral agents from the environment that can cause cellular damage, infection and illness. Good sources of antioxidants are vitamins A, C and E. Consuming foods rich in antioxidants may help boost your body's ability to both prevent and fight illness, including prostate cancer. Food sources include berries, cherries, lemons, oranges, broccoli, spinach and kale.
Foods Rich In Zinc
Your prostate contains the highest zinc concentration of any other soft tissue in your body. According to the Linus Pauling Institute, the concentration of zinc in prostate tissue affected with cancerous cells is only approximately 10 to 25 percent of the concentration of zinc in healthy prostate tissue. The specific role of zinc in prostate health is unclear, and more research is required to establish a clear association and benefit. To boost your intakes of zinc, you can consume foods such as oysters, liver, wheat germ, sesame butter, roast beef, pumpkin seeds, squash seeds, watermelon, lamb and peanuts.
Lycopene-Containing Tomatoes
A nutrient called lycopene may possibly help prevent prostate cancer. This nutrient is found in raw or cooked tomatoes, although cooked can supply you with a higher amount. Other foods rich in lycopene include watermelon, guava and pink and red grapefruit. However, research does not indicate that food alone can prevent prostate cancer, and more research is required.
Pomegranate Juice
Drinking pomegranate juice may be helpful in the prevention and treatment of prostate cancer. According to researchers at Purdue University, components in pomegranate juice may stop the spread of cancer cells and weaken their attraction to a chemical signal that encourages the spread of prostate cancer to the bone. These components include phenylpropanoids, flavones, conjugated fatty acids and hydrobenzoic acids. Research is ongoing.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Prostate Cancer
- MayoClinic.com: Prostate Cancer: Prevention
- Linus Pauling Institute Research Newsletter; Zinc Is Crucial For DNA Integrity And Prostate Health; Yang Song, Ph.D.; Fall/Winter 2009
- Science Daily; Tomato Packs More Cancer-Fighting Punch; June 19, 2002
- Science Daily; Pomegranate Juice Components could Stop Cancer from Spreading, Research Suggests; Dec. 13, 2010
