prostate cancer is the most common cancer among American men, according to Cancer.org, with one in seven men diagnosed with this killer disease in his lifetime.
Fortunately, diet can play a role in protecting against this cancer, so reach for these foods to help protect your prostate:
Tomato-rich diets have been getting a lot of
attention among those working to protect prostate health, and with good
reason: Eating 10 portions of tomatoes a week reduces your risk for prostate cancer by 18 percent, according to research from the University of Bristol, United Kingdom.
In the study, this not only included the fruit itself, but also tomato juice and baked beans cooked in a tomato base.
While soy products are often demonized for lowering testosterone
, this has to be balanced against your individual risk for prostate cancer. A study published in the journal Nutrition and Cancer reports that, since testosterone-deprivation therapy is known to inhibit the growth of prostate cells, soy may be something to consider for your diet.
The research looked at men who had undergone radiation therapy for prostate therapy but still saw their prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels rise. Men with prostate cancer have high levels of this enzyme. They found that drinking soymilk helped slow down the increases of PSA.
Rich in antioxidant-containing polyphenols, green tea has
been shown to be a great cancer fighter. Not only does it help prevent
cell oxidation, but it also is able to stop the spread of cancer cells
by promoting natural cell death according to research from Case Western University.
They explain that this makes green tea an excellent preventative food, and it also is beneficial for those undergoing treatment for prostate cancer, especially for cancers that are unresponsive to conventional treatments.
In the study, this not only included the fruit itself, but also tomato juice and baked beans cooked in a tomato base.
While soy products are often demonized for lowering testosterone, this has to be balanced against your individual risk for prostate cancer. A study published in the journal Nutrition and Cancer reports that, since testosterone-deprivation therapy is known to inhibit the growth of prostate cells, soy may be something to consider for your diet.
The research looked at men who had undergone radiation therapy for prostate therapy but still saw their prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels rise. Men with prostate cancer have high levels of this enzyme. They found that drinking soymilk helped slow down the increases of PSA.
They explain that this makes green tea an excellent preventative food, and it also is beneficial for those undergoing treatment for prostate cancer, especially for cancers that are unresponsive to conventional treatments.
Not a fan of tea? A systematic review published in the Annals of Oncology found that intake coffee, another beverage high in antioxidants, was inversely related to fatal forms of prostate cancer.
The review wasn't able to determine whether coffee prevents prostate cancer, but there are plenty of other reasons to have some java, such as its ability to protect against MRSA and its muscle-soothing properties.
Just be sure that you're really drinking brain-healthy coffee and not a brew of weird additives.
Another food loaded with polyphenols is sweet potato greens. In fact, research published in Carcinogenesis
showed that sweet potato green extract has 42 percent more polyphenols
than spinach and, like green tea, helps promote healthy cell death of
the sort that doesn't occur in cancerous cells.
Sweet potato greens are also rich in vitamin B, beta-carotene, iron, calcium, and zinc.
The review wasn't able to determine whether coffee prevents prostate cancer, but there are plenty of other reasons to have some java, such as its ability to protect against MRSA and its muscle-soothing properties.
Just be sure that you're really drinking brain-healthy coffee and not a brew of weird additives.
Sweet potato greens are also rich in vitamin B, beta-carotene, iron, calcium, and zinc.
Cabbage, broccoli,
brussels sprouts, cauliflower—these foods are all considered
cruciferous veggies, in other words, they're in the cabbage family.
Cruciferous vegetables are high in nutrients and phytochemicals with
anti-cancer properties. In fact, a recent review
of the literature on the effects of cruciferous vegetables and prostate
cancer found significant decreases of instances of prostate cancer in
experimental groups that had higher intakes of these varieties of
vegetables.
This side of Maple-Roasted Brussels Sprouts will please even the pickiest eater.
Omega-3s have been shown to boost brain health, but they also reduce prostate inflammation, according to research
from the University of California–San Francisco. In fact, in the study,
eating one to three servings per month reduced men's risk by 36
percent, and this held true regardless of genetic predisposition.
However, this doesn't mean that all fish rich in omega-3s have this effect. Swedish researchers found that salted or smoked fish actually increase a man's risk of developing prostate cancer. However, their study also confirmed that fish oils have a positive effect on prostate health.
This side of Maple-Roasted Brussels Sprouts will please even the pickiest eater.
However, this doesn't mean that all fish rich in omega-3s have this effect. Swedish researchers found that salted or smoked fish actually increase a man's risk of developing prostate cancer. However, their study also confirmed that fish oils have a positive effect on prostate health.
Interestingly while walnuts (like fish) are high in omega-3's, it
seems that there are other compounds in walnuts that fight prostate
cancer, not just the omega-3s. The researchers point out that the mice
were eating a lot of walnuts, but it might be worth the calories. "In
our study the mice were eating the equivalent of 2.6 ounces of walnuts,"
he said. :"You need to realize that 2.6 ounces of walnuts is about 482
calories. That's not insignificant, but it's better than eating a
serving of supersized fries, which has 610 calories. In addition to the
cancer benefit, we think you also get cardiovascular benefits that other
walnut research has demonstrated."
No comments:
Post a Comment